Many Dark Days
by Torey Hylton
Summary: When Cloud unwittingly joins the eco-terrorist group AVALANCHE in their attempts to stop a world-controlling megacorporation from destroying the planet, he is soon thrown into an adventure that spans the entire world, making new friends and new enemies along the way. There are many dark days ahead of them... (novelization of Final Fantasy VII)
1. A Beacon of Hope

**_Author's note: Welcome to Many Dark Days, a novelisation of the game of Final Fantasy VII. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it. Before we begin the story, I just want to clear up a few things._**

**_Firstly, whilst I'm trying to stay as true to the game as I can, there are aspects of the game that will change. The dialogue will be mostly the same, save for grammatical differences and in-game spelling mistakes (I've spotted a few!). Some dialogue pieces will be added by me. This is just to make the story and conversations flow better as some conversations can be one-sided. Certain parts of the game will also be omitted. These will be mainly puzzles or sequences in which the player has to complete in order to move forward in the game and which do not add anything to the actual plot itself._**

**_And with that out of the way, onto the story! Please feel free to review!_**

* * *

The young woman seemed mesmerised by the beautiful yet eerie glow of the orbs of Mako energy rising from the tiny furnace that she was gazing into. Her face glowed and her beautiful large eyes shined as the energy doused her in its warmth. Then, she turned and left. Her heels clacked against the solid ground, echoing against the dark walls of the alley; a stark contrast to the dazzling display of Mako energy.

She wore her mousy brown hair in a long plait which swayed as she moved through the darkness. Her dress was rose pink in colour. It was long and had a split in the middle which exposed part of her left leg. She also wore a small red bolero cardigan and carried a basket of colourful flowers in her hand.

Emerging from the mouth of the alley, she stood facing a busy road, shining nearly as bright as the orbs of energy she was so mesmerised by.

Her surroundings were glum. Cars and trucks zoomed past her and people moved across the cityscape, swallowed up by the darkness all around them. The road was cobbled and dirty, and likely had years of grime coated on its surface. A lit up sign covered the building's wall to her right. On it, the word Loveless glowed. Goblin's Bar stood to her left, an establishment that was aptly named, for all the ruffians of this part of the city liked to gather there.

It was dark, dreary and dirty and the young woman stood out, like a shining beacon of hope. The city was no place for a kind flower lady to make a living. No place at all…


	2. First Fight

Cloud watched the view with uncaring eyes as the train pulled into the station. It was dirty, dark and unappealing. He grunted and shook his head as the train screeched to a halt. He had reached his destination. He got to his feet and watched as his female comrade jumped off the train in a display of extravagance. He shook his head again and followed her.

His comrade had already made her mark on the guards that were patrolling the station. One was writhing around on the floor, screaming in agony, while the other guard was being pummelled by his assailant's vicious, quick-as-lightning kicks; yet Cloud was still as unimpressed as he was before and merely shrugged his shoulders.

Just then, another comrade jumped out of the train. He was a large, black man with rippling muscles and a crew-cut and, alarmingly, he had had his right arm replaced with a large Gatling gun, for reasons that Cloud did not know and did not care to know, either. He turned to Cloud.

"C'mon newcomer. Follow me," he shouted as he ran up some steps.

Cloud followed him only to be intercepted by more guards. He withdrew his large sword and cut them down like they were made of nothing but butter. The blonde man rolled his eyes. He had battled much fiercer foes in his time. He moved past the bloodied bodies and into the area above, not caring to look back.

His comrades were all waiting for him at the gate to the Mako Reactor and Cloud scoffed at the sight of them. They looked less like professional terrorists and more like common thugs.

"Wow!" one exclaimed. He was a skinny young man with olive skin and black hair. He had a thin, dark red bandana tied around his hair and wore green overalls. "You used to be in SOLDIER all right! Not everyday ya find one in a group like AVALANCHE."

The woman piped up, "SOLDIER? Aren't they the enemy? What's he doing with us in AVALANCHE?"

"Hold it, Jessie," he replied sternly. "He _was_ in SOLDIER. He quit them and now is one of us."

He turned to Cloud, running his finger across his nose casually as if to scratch an itch.

"Didn't catch your name…"

It all seemed too trivial to Cloud. Did it really matter about being on first name terms with each other? They had a job to do together, that was it. They weren't enemies. They weren't friends. They were just working together.

"…Cloud," he eventually replied, albeit hesitantly.

"Cloud, eh? I'm…"

"I don't care what your names are," Cloud retorted. "Once this job's over… I'm outta here."

Just as the scrawny man tried to answer back, the large, muscled man came darting up the stairs with surprising agility, his gun arm waving in the air dangerously.

"The hell you all doin'!? I thought I told you never to move in a group! Our target's the North Mako Reactor. We'll meet on the bridge in front of it."

In complete silence, the group left through the gate, as if answering back to the man would be detrimental to their health. Cloud was beginning to like the guy; a little, at least. The man turned to Cloud and looked at him with eyes that could cut steel.

"Ex-SOLDIER, huh? Don't trust ya!"

He discovered that the man's name was Barret. That was about all he knew about him and all he cared to know at this point.

Cloud looked up into the sky and saw a huge building looming overhead. It was the Shinra Headquarters. Midgar's elite all worked there. With bulging pay-packets, they were able to live at the top of the city, breathing in the glorious fresh air and admiring the views all around them. Of course, from such a high vantage point, they were also able to keep tabs on the world beneath them, making sure that the 'scum' of lower Midgar never rose to the surface. Cloud neither hated nor liked them. In fact, like most things, he was indifferent to them, even when he was a part of the ranks. _Just a job_, he'd say. That was all there was to it.

He followed Barret through the gate. A fat man wearing metal shoulder guards, brown leather straps running vertically down his stomach, blue trousers and a red bandana stood in front of then, at the foot of the bridge.

"I'll secure the escape passage. Concentrate on the mission, Cloud." He looked towards the Mako Reactor. "Geez, we're really gonna blow this huge furnace up? This'll be something to see!"

Cloud ignored him and followed the others into the heart of the Mako reactor where the real mission awaited.

_To be continued…_


	3. Into the Reactor

"Yo!" exclaimed Barret somewhat cheerfully. "This your first time in a reactor?"

"No," replied Cloud. "After all, I did work for Shinra, y'know."

Barret pointed towards the depth of the reactor which was glowing an eerie green colour.

"The planet's full of Mako Energy," he said. "People here use it every day. It's the life source of the planet. But Shinra keeps suckin' the blood out with these machines."

"I'm not here for a lecture," said Cloud impatiently. "Let's just hurry."

"That's it!" huffed Barret. "You're comin' with me from now on!"

The two unlikely comrades travelled through the reactor. Cloud was undeterred by how vast the reactor was but Barret seemed to be mesmerised by the pools of green liquid that lay at its depths. Cloud didn't understand how people could get transfixed over such things, especially in the middle of a mission. In Cloud's mind, it was best to just focus on the job you were supposed to be doing.

Cloud and Barret met Jessie and the scrawny guy deeper inside the reactor, standing next to a locked door. They appeared smug.

"Biggs and I got the code for this door," she said.

Biggs grinned and then started jamming the number pad with his fingers.

"Code deciphered."

The team headed through the unlocked door and into another corridor. Cloud sighed at the sight of another locked door, but he knew all along that it wasn't going to be easy. He just hoped the geeks in the party knew how to unlock _this _door too.

"Think how many of our people risked their lives, just for this code…" said Biggs egotistically. Cloud was indifferent to him before. Now, it was plain dislike. He was very annoying.

"Code deciphered," said Jessie.

Cloud, Barret and Jessie continued on into the bowels of the reactor, while Biggs stayed at the door to keep guard. Cloud was quite thankful for it. They eventually came to an elevator and stepped inside.

"Push that button over there!" said Jessie, pointing to a shiny button on the far wall.

Cloud pushed the button and the elevator whirred into life.

"Little by little the reactors'll drain out all the life. And that'll be that," said Barret with a hint of disgust rising into his throat.

"It's not my problem" replied Cloud coldly.

"The planet's dyin', Cloud!"

Not caring about Barret's feelings or the welfare of the planet, Cloud replied, "The only thing I care about is finishin' this job before security and the Roboguards come."

Barret looked at Cloud, his dark eyes full of anger. He grimaced, turned away, and shook with fury. What was his damn problem? Whatever it was, Cloud certainly wasn't going to try and make amends, not with a guy full of rage and a gun for an arm. Cloud had always been a tough cookie but he also knew when to stand back. He came here to do a job, and that was what he was going to do.

The elevator came to a sudden stop and everyone got out. Jessie stayed by the elevator to make sure no one else tried to use it, while Cloud and Barret entered the deepest part of the reactor, the core.

"When we blow this place, this ain't gonna be nothin' more than a hunka junk," said Barret. He looked at Cloud and said, "Cloud, you set the bomb."

"Shouldn't you do it?"

"Jus' do it! I gotta watch to make sure you don't pull nothin'."

"Fine, be my guest."

Cloud walked towards the bomb when he suddenly felt very faint. He gripped his head with his hands as an eerie voice drifted through his ears.

"Watch out! This isn't just a reactor!" it shouted.

"…What's wrong?" asked Barret.

"Huh?"

"What's wrong, Cloud? Hurry it up!" Barret boomed.

"Yeah, sorry," Cloud replied, unsure as to what had just happened. Was he losing his mind? He shook off the notion and walked towards the bomb.

It was a tricky mechanism for a newbie but would be a piece of cake for someone like him. He had done things like this many times before, but not as a terrorist. However, he felt no different now than when he was in SOLDIER. He crossed wires and pushed buttons. The bomb had been set. Piece of cake. An alarm began to sound and red, angry lights flashed all around them.

"Heads up, here they come!" yelled Barret as he threw his gun arm into the air and adopted a fighting stance.

Cloud whirled around when he heard a huge thunderous roar from behind him. Heading towards them was a huge metal scorpion. The creature was copper coloured and about five times the size of Barret. Its tail rose into the air and shook and then it advanced; it scuttled down the walkway at breakneck speed. Barret emitted a war cry and shot the beast with his Gatling gun, but the Guard Scorpion unleashed its own attack from its enormous tail, knocking them both to the ground.

"Better to attack… when its tail is down!" Barret yelled as he massaged his left arm. Cloud noticed that there was a gash across it where the scorpion's laser had struck. The tail buzzed and vibrated and Cloud braced himself for another attack, but instead, the tail lowered, giving Cloud an opportunity to strike it.

He conjured a bolt spell and aimed it at the Guard Scorpion's metal body. It screeched as the lightning tore across its metal shell, cracking it in places. Then the body exploded into a thousand pieces, shrapnel flying through the air and some parts missing Cloud by mere inches.

"Come on, let's get out of here!" Cloud shouted as he helped Barret to his feet.

They hurried through the lower bowels of the Mako reactor, the sirens cutting into the air and making them all too aware that time was not on their side. They met up with Jessie.

"You all right?" he asked her. She was sitting on the grated floor and looked worried and a little bit hurt.

"My leg got stuck," she said.

Cloud quickly knelt down by her side and encouraged her to twist her foot while he tried to pry the rungs open. It wasted a lot of time, but Cloud wasn't going to leave the reactor and willingly leave his comrades here, no matter how much they annoyed him. Finally, Jessie was freed.

"Thanks!"

They pressed on and met Biggs further up.

"Let's go!" he yelled, tapping in the numbers for the coded door.

"Code deciphered," stated Jessie.

Cloud shook his head. Did they _really_ need to say that every time they opened a coded door? There was no time to dwell on it. Time was running out, and fast.

They ran through the door.

"Alright, be careful," Jessie told them as they made their way to the other coded door. Biggs jammed the numbers into the pad and finished it off with a "Code deciphered."

Cloud shook his head. They met with Wedge on the bridge and ran towards the exit with only a minute to spare. From behind him, Cloud heard Jessie scream. Turning around, he was shocked to see that she had fallen from the bridge and was hanging on for dear life with only her fingers. He ran over to her and pulled her back up, his arms aching as the muscles tensed and pulled, and then they darted from the Mako reactor just as the detonator struck zero.

The air vibrated with sound and heat as the reactor exploded behind them. Cloud took one last glance back and saw that the entire area was alight. There was another bang that knocked him off his feet. He cried out, picked himself off the ground, and ran.

_To be continued…_


	4. My Butt's on Fire!

He didn't know where he was, or how long he had been out for. When he woke up, he noticed that Barret, Biggs, Wedge and Jessie were all sat around him. It was dim, and as he looked around his surroundings he concluded that he was in some sort of tunnel. Everyone seemed to be in disarray. Dirt hung on their faces and their clothes were torn in places. They had barely escaped with their lives.

They sat in silence for a few moments until Biggs said, "That should keep the planet going… at least a little longer."

"Yeah," replied Wedge, rather nonchalantly; it was as if he simply didn't know what else to say.

Barret sat in the far corner and kept himself to himself. Jessie began fumbling with some sort of device that she had attached to the wall.

"OK!" she yelled. "Now everyone get back."

Cloud and the others stood far back against the wall. The wall that Jessie had attached the device to suddenly exploded into flames. A huge gap formed in it. A way out, Cloud assumed. He glanced over at Wedge, who was screaming in agony and clenching his butt with both hands. It was alight. He started fanning the flames with his hands and eventually was able to quell them. Cloud shrugged and rolled his eyes. He didn't have time for this.

"All right," Barret began, "now let's get out of here. Rendezvous at Sector 8 station! Split up and get on the train!"

Biggs, Wedge and Jessie followed Barret's orders and left, while Cloud remained. He faced Barret.

"H, hey!" he began. He needed paying. He didn't care about the planet or its people. To him, a job was only worth doing for the money.

"If it's about your money save it 'til we're back at the hideout," he said as if he could reach into Cloud's mind, pull out his thoughts and read them.

Barret left the tunnel and Cloud followed him.

_To be continued..._


	5. A Leap of Faith

The pretty girl stood humbly at the edge of the street clutching her basket of flowers, smiling at passers-by knowing that people rarely returned the favour. Such was the way of life in Midgar. She had become used to it by now. Two people rushed past her, knocking her off her feet. She stood up, brushed herself off and retained that radiant ever-present smile that not even the darkest of days could quell.

* * *

Cloud had emerged into the slums of Midgar. It was a dirty, rotten place full of hooligans and people with nary a gil to their name, most of which were slumming it on the streets. He glanced across the way and saw a young woman dressed in a long pink dress and a short, red bolero cardigan, holding a basket of flowers. Her long brown hair was blowing in the wind and she was smiling, which was a rarity in these parts.

He walked towards her but he didn't know what to say. He rarely talked to women, not casually, anyway. Being in SOLDIER desensitised his emotions so that in many ways, he was merely a shell of a person whose only missions were to obey orders and fight for causes he didn't much care for.

"Excuse me," she said, jolting him from his thoughts. Her voice was gentle and had a soothing quality about it. "What happened?" Her emerald eyes glistened even though the light was dim.

"Nothing… hey listen," he said. "Don't see many flowers around here."

"Oh, these? Do you like them? They're only a gil…?"

He had never bought flowers before. They were beautiful. For a gil, he could hardly refuse.

"Oh, thank you! Here you are!"

She handed him a flower and walked away into the gloom. He turned to look at her but she had already gone. It was as if the darkness had simply swallowed her up.

Cloud continued through the drab streets of the city, feeling cold, hungry and tired. It seemed that the dingy buildings were bearing in on him, crushing him down and suffocating him in darkness. He shook his head and breathed in through his nose. He had to try and clear his head.

"Hey! You there!"

He turned towards the source of the noise and saw a Shinra soldier looking back at him.

"Shinra soldiers…" he muttered to himself.

They seemed to come out of nowhere. There were lots of them and they had him cornered. He had no choice but to fight. He was able to cut the first group of soldiers down with ease but the second and third waves seemed a lot stronger and he could feel himself growing tired. As more and more soldiers appeared from the darkness, Cloud realised that he had no choice but to run; but where? He was cornered and had nowhere to go.

"That's as far as you go," a soldier warned him, his eyes as cool as the steel of his sword.

"I don't have time to be messin' around with you guys," Cloud said, casually, as if this was a common occurrence for him.

"Enough babbling!" the soldier yelled. "Grab him!"

Cloud backed away as the Shinra soldiers advanced. His hands rested on a metal railing and beneath him lay the Midgar railroad. He looked down and realised that it was far too high to jump down. He was stranded. The soldiers were so close. Suddenly, he heard a thunderous roar in the distance. He glanced down the tracks and saw a pair of bright lights advancing towards him; a train. It thundered under him at the speed of light. It was now or never. Cloud jumped over the railing and onto the roof of the train. He had taken a leap of faith, and he had survived it.

_To be continued…_


	6. Gatecrasher

The train looked and smelled awful as he stepped inside, but Barret hardly cared. He had seen far worse in his job as a vigilante. The walls were made of cold, harsh metal, rusted in a lot of places. Dirty crates lay in corners filled to the brim with all sorts of ghastly things, and the floor space had been taken up mostly with pieces of scrap metal from machines and contraptions that had once been powerful but were now merely ghosts.

Wedge had propped himself against a crate while Biggs and Jessie stood further up the cabin.

"Cloud never came," said Wedge, sounding a little nonplussed.

Why would Barret expect anything else of the man? He had got the impression that he was a cold-hearted mercenary and nothing more. But then again, he also seemed like the type to never throw away the chance of some cash.

"Cloud… wonder if he was killed?" asked Biggs.

"No way!" Barret shouted, surprising even himself. The ex-SOLDIER may have been a lot of things, but a coward and a weakling? No way.

"Cloud…" added Jessie, sounding mystified.

Barret glanced up as something banged the roof of the cabin but he dismissed it instantly and looked back down. The slums were crumbling, including the railroad tunnels. It was probably just a rock that had fallen from the ceiling of the tunnel.

"Say, do you think Cloud's going to fight to the end for AVALANCHE?" asked Biggs.

"The hell would I know?" Barret answered back angrily. "Do I look like a mind reader?"

He hit the crate he was leaning against with his fist. He liked the guys he worked with, but jeez, they got him so angry sometimes.

"Hmph! If y'all weren't such screw-ups…"

"Hey Barret!" Wedge piped up. "What about our money…?"

Enraged, Barret hit the crate again, but Wedge being Wedge didn't take the initiative to stop talking and continued on.

"Uh…nothin'… sorry," he mumbled. He emitted a pathetic yelp and hung his head. Finally got the message, it seemed.

The bangs came again in quick succession. Suddenly, the train door burst open and Cloud waltzed through, landing on his feet in front of Barret, with nary a scratch on him and not a spike of blonde hair out of place.

"Cloud!" Jessie, Biggs and Wedge all shouted in unison. Barret was indifferent. He was just a kid above his station. Nothing more, nothing less; yet they were all treating him like a celebrity.

"Looks like I'm a little late," Cloud said, ironing out his clothes with a quick brush of his hand.

"You damn right, you're late!" Barret boomed. "Come waltzin' in here makin' a big scene!"

"It's no big deal," Cloud replied with a tone that reeked of aloofness. "Just what I always do."

"Shi't! Havin' everyone worried like that, you don't give a damn 'bout no one but yourself!"

"Hmm… you were worried about me!" Cloud replied.

"Wha!?" Barret yelled. "I'm takin' it outta your money, hot stuff!"

Barret walked to the centre of the cabin and gestured wildly with his arms.

"Wake up! We're movin' out! Follow me!"

He exited the cabin, the door to the adjoining one springing shut behind him.

* * *

Cloud was barely out of breath. He took a massive risk, though, and it was playing on his mind somewhat. What if that train hadn't been the one his comrades had gotten on? What if it was going to the other side of Midgar? It wasn't the first time he'd taken risks, though. He was a lucky guy and a risky decision usually paid off.

He ruffled his hair with his hand. Jessie was eyeing him, but he tried not to take too much notice.

"Hey Cloud!" yelled Wedge as he walked towards the door to the next cabin before spinning around to face him. "You were great back there!" He spun again and exited through the door.

"Heh heh… Cloud! We'll do even better next time!" said Biggs, a little sheepishly. It seemed that this Biggs fellow didn't quite have the somewhat childish enthusiasm as his larger than life friend. Biggs followed Wedge through the door and was gone.

Only Jessie remained. Cloud gulped, hoping she hadn't noticed his awkwardness. She smiled at him and then walked towards the exit door, which Cloud had left open.

"Be careful," she said, "I'll shut this."

The door closed with a soft thud and the roar from outside quietened. She walked over to Cloud again and peered into his face. He shuffled on his feet awkwardly, but Jessie didn't seem to notice.

"Oh, Cloud! Your face is pitch-black..."

She placed her hand on his face, an invasion of his personal space if ever there was one, and wiped the grime from his cheeks and forehead.

"There you go!" she said cheerfully. "Say, thanks for helping me back there at the reactor!"

"Just did what I had to do," Cloud replied indifferently.

They left the cabin together and into the adjoining one, neither one expecting that trouble lay just ahead…

_To be continued..._


	7. Train Talk

"Last train out of Sector 8 Station," the intercom boomed overhead. "Last stop is Sector 7, Train Graveyard. Expected time of arrival is 12:23 AM, Midgar standard time…"

Cloud, Barret and the others barged into another cabin which was occupied by a couple of punks, an old man, what appeared to be a homeless guy and a man in a crimson red suit. This cabin was very different from the previous one and was well-kept with soft seats and polished metal walls. Barret plonked himself down on one of the seats and stretched out like he hadn't got a care in the world. The official-looking man turned away and muttered something to himself before leaving.

_Probably doesn't like the idea of sharing a cabin with a couple of shady looking guys like us_, Cloud thought to himself.

Cloud paced the cabin and glanced at a scruffy-looking man lying lengthways on one of the seats.

"Huh? This is my house, so make yourselves at home," he muttered, more to himself than the people around him. Cloud caught a whiff of booze and body odour on him, turned away and distanced himself from him.

"Stop actin' like a damn kid," Barret said to Cloud. "Si'down and shu'up!"

Cloud wasn't aware that he had even spoken. Perhaps being the leader of a rookie vigilante group was taking its toll on him, Cloud thought.

"Hey, Cloud," said Jessie as he approached her. "You want to look at this with me? It's a map of the Midgar Rail System. Let's look at it together."

"OK," replied Cloud.

"I'll explain it to you. I like this kind of stuff. Bombs and monitors… you know, flashy stuff. Okay, it's about to start."

A huge monitor had been placed on the metal wall panels. Its screen was blank. Cloud wasn't quite sure what he was meant to be looking at until a digitally rendered mesh of Midgar suddenly lit up on the screen.

"This is a complete model of the city of Midgar," Jessie began. "It's about a 1/10000 scale. The top plate is about 50 metres above ground. A main support structure holds the plate up in the centre, and there are other support structures built in each section…"

She leaned closer to Cloud and whispered in his ear, "The No. 1 reactor we blew up was in the northern section. Then there's No. 2, No. 3 all the way up to the No. 8 Reactor. The 8 Reactors provide Midgar with electricity. Each town used to have a name, but no one in Midgar remembers them. Instead of names, we refer to them by numbered sectors. That's the kind of place this is. Phew... this is next! Look."

A blue dotted line weaved through the mesh of Midgar.

"This is the route the train is on," Jessie informed him. "The route spirals around the main support structure. We should be coming around the centre area, right now. At each checkpoint, an ID sensor device is set up. It can check the identities and background on each and every passenger on the train by linking it up to the central databank at Shinra headquarters."

She leaned in again and whispered, "Anyone could tell that we look suspicious, so we're using fake ID's."

Suddenly, a red light started flashing and an intense, high-pitched siren pierced the air.

"Speak of the devil," Jessie said. "That light means we're in the ID Security Check area. When the lights go off, you never know what kind of creeps'll come out," she whispered. "Anyhow, we're almost back now. That's a relief."

After a short while, the red flashing lights ceased and the siren stopped. The dim, yellowy lights came back on and Cloud breathed a sigh of relief. He could hear someone snoring behind him. He turned around and saw Biggs who had fallen asleep standing up.

"Don't act so damn big, Barret," Biggs mumbled, half incoherently.

Barret hadn't heard him and was admiring the 'view' from the window behind him.

"Look… you can see the surface now. This city don't have no day or night," he said. "If that plate weren't there… we could see the sky."

Cloud looked out the window. It was quite a horrific sight. He figured that most people who lived down in lower Midgar never even saw the sky. It all seemed so wrong, but what could he do about it? What could anyone do about it? It didn't really matter what AVALANCHE did. They could try and blow the top plate off lower Midgar and it _still_ wouldn't make a difference. He was really just in it for the money. A pang of guilt tried to surface but he brushed it off as quickly as it came.

"A floating city… pretty unsettling scenery," Cloud said to Barret.

Barret looked at him with an eyebrow raised and said, "Huh? Never expect to hear that outta someone like you. You jes' full of surprises."

He stood up suddenly and started to pace, gesticulating with his arms. Cloud thought he looked angry, and who could blame him? That's what lower Midgar did to people.

"The upper world… a city on a plate…It's 'cuz of that damn 'pizza' that people underneath are sufferin'! And the city below is full of polluted air. On topa that, the reactor keeps drainin' up all the energy."

"Then why doesn't everyone move onto the plate?" Cloud asked.

"Dunno. Probably 'cuz they ain't got no money. Or, maybe... 'cuz they love their land, no matter how polluted it gets."

Cloud didn't think anybody lived here because they wanted to. Who would?

"I know…," Cloud began, "no one wants to live in the slums because they want to. It's like this train. It can't run anywhere except where its rails take it."

He sat down and closed his eyes. He didn't want to think about anything else right now. Things were starting to hurt him a little. He slept the rest of the way but it was far from an easy sleep. When he opened his eyes, they were sore. He rubbed them, stretched and got off the train onto the platform in the Sector 7 Station.

"Yo!" Barret yelled. "Get over here, all' ya!"

Cloud, Biggs, Wedge and Jessie all gathered around Barret. Cloud had to admit, the brute was a good leader. Everyone always obeyed him. Then again, the guy had a Gatling gun for a hand…

"This mission was a success. But don't get lazy now. The hard part's still to come! Don't y'all be scared of that explosion! 'Cause the next one's gonna be bigger than that! Meet back at the hideout! Move out!"

_To be continued…_


	8. 7th Heaven

The group left the train station, crossed through the slums and stood in front of a dilapidated but somewhat comforting looking bar called 7th Heaven. Barret waltzed straight through the door, his gun arm already cocked, followed by Biggs, Wedge and Jessie.

Cloud heard the familiar sounds of rapid gunfire. Seconds passed and patrons ran out the door screaming and shouting with their arms in the air and scattered off into the distance. Barret sure had a way of doing things, Cloud thought.

"OK! Go on ahead," Barret told Cloud, beckoning him in.

The bar was old and rather shabby, with worn wooden floors, but the place had a warm, comforting atmosphere. It was a very small space with only enough room for two tables. The many lamps cast a warming glow around the room. The bar area stood at the top left corner and a pinball machine was propped against the right wall. Tifa, a girl who Cloud had known since childhood, was serving drinks behind the counter. Oh man, how long had it been since they last saw each other Cloud wondered?

Cloud was roused from his thoughts by the sound of a little girl's voice.

"Papa!"

Her hair was dark, almost black, and her eyes were the colour of dark chocolate. She wore a pink dress with a large yellow ribbon adorned near the collar. Upon seeing Cloud, she suddenly went very shy and ran into the corner to hide. It was really nothing unusual. Kids didn't seem to like Cloud very much. Tifa ran from behind the bar, knelt down beside her and gave her a cuddle.

"Marlene! Aren't you going to say anything to Cloud?" Tifa asked her.

Tifa stood up and walked over to Cloud as Marlene trailed behind her. She pushed her hair out of her face and smiled, albeit a little nervously.

"Welcome home, Cloud. Looks like everything went well. Did you fight with Barret?"

"Yeah."

"I should have known. He's always pushing people around, and you've always been in fights ever since you were little. I was worried."

Tifa looked down at the flowers that Cloud was holding and beamed.

"Flowers? How nice…" she said, dreamily. "You almost never see them here in the slums."

That was true. Flowers hardly grew at all in these parts. They had no chance to thrive or flourish down here. With no sunlight and the air full of pollution, flowers had no chance at all. Humans were not far better off.

Cloud suddenly wondered about that mysterious flower lady. Where did she get her flowers from? He'd never know now. The chances of seeing her again were slim. Lower Midgar was a huge, gloomy place.

"But… a flower for me?" she asked bashfully. "Oh Cloud, you shouldn't have…"

"No big," Cloud replied.

"Thank you, Cloud. It smells wonderful."

She looked around as if inspecting the décor.

"Maybe I should fill the store with flowers," she said, and then knelt down to talk to Marlene.

Cloud looked around and saw Wedge sitting on a stool, massaging his stomach.

"Oh. Cloud!" he exclaimed. "Tifa really knows how to cook." He licked his lips. "Anyway, let me tell you somethin'."

"About what?"

"Tifa always lets me taste her cooking. And look at me now, I'm rolly-polly. Don't know whether I should be happy or sad. But it's the good food and drinks that make this shop famous."

Biggs was sat at the bar. After listening to Wedge's story, Cloud walked over to him. He appeared to be quite intoxicated already. What the heck had he been drinking?

_Lightweight_ thought Cloud.

"Aah! Nothin' like that first drink after a job." He hiccupped. "Why don't you have one too?"

"No," Cloud replied.

"What!?" he spluttered. "You tellin' me you're too good to drink with me? Don't act big-headed jus' because you were in SOLDIER!"

The real reason was that he annoyed Cloud with his immaturity. Besides, he had other things to be doing with his time. Getting smashed out of his face with booze wasn't on his radar.

The door to the bar sprang open and Barret stormed in.

"Papa!" cried Marlene. "Welcome home!"

Barret picked his daughter up and placed her on his shoulders. Cloud had to admit, the sight of it warmed him a little. She seemed like such a charming little girl, and he could tell that Barret's heart was in the right place.

"You alright, Barret?" Tifa asked him.

He nodded and then shouted for the group to follow him into the hideout. The hideout turned out to be downstairs, the entrance to it being hidden under the pinball machine. Biggs, Wedge and Jessie followed Barret, but Cloud stayed behind and walked up to the bar to talk to Tifa. She smiled and beckoned him to sit down.

"How about something to drink?"

"Give me something hard," Cloud said. He decided he needed a drink after all.

"Just a minute, I'll make one for you."

She studied the drinks and mixers behind the bar, made him a drink and slid it across the counter for him.

"You know, I'm relieved you made it back safely."

"What's with you all of a sudden?" Cloud asked. "That wasn't even a tough job."

"I guess not…" replied Tifa, sounding rather crestfallen. "…You were in SOLDIER."

She leaned over to him, twiddling her hair between her fingers. Cloud could smell her perfume which was a mixture of flowers and exotic spices.

"Make sure you get your pay from Barret."

"Don't worry. Once I get that money, I'm outta here."

"Cloud, are you feeling alright?" asked Tifa as he stood up.

"…Yeah… why?"

"No reason," she replied. "You just look a little tired I guess."

He noticed that her eyes looked worried but he decided to brush it off. She always let her emotions run wild. It was weird, really; they were total opposites to each other yet they were always drawn together.

Cloud yawned. He _was_ tired. He couldn't rest just yet though. There was still so much to do. He said his goodbyes to Tifa and headed downstairs to the hideout.

_To be continued..._


	9. Broken Promises

The hideout was small, cluttered and dirty. A table was set in the middle of the room and on top of it were some sheets of paper with hastily drawn plans scribbled on them. Biggs seemed to be eyeing them but wore a perplexed look on his face as if he didn't really understand what he was looking at. Wedge was also standing at the table but appeared to be falling asleep.

In the top right corner was a large television that was resting on some cardboard boxes that had been stacked up too high and looked like they might topple at any moment. A news broadcast lit up the screen. Jessie was sat at a computer next to it, typing away, and her fingers click-clacking on the keys.

Barret was knocking seven shades out of a punching bag in the left corner while Marlene was sat on some cardboard boxes next to him, swinging her feet idly back and forth, seemingly indifferent towards her father's aggressive nature.

"Yo, Cloud!" Barret yelled. "There's somethin' I wanna ask ya. Was there anyone from SOLDIER fighting us today?"

"None. I'm positive," he replied.

"You sound pretty sure," Barret retorted, a little stiffly, Cloud thought.

"If there was anyone from SOLDIER you wouldn't be standing here now," Cloud replied cockily.

"Don't go thinkin' you so bad jes cuz you was in SOLDIER."

Barret erupted into another one of his rages that Cloud had seen far too many times already. He raised his fists into the air and started shaking them, his face contorted into a grimace. At that moment in time, the large hulking brute of a man was acting as old as his daughter.

Biggs tried to hold him back and failed as the muscle man sent him flying through the air with his gun arm. The skinny guy emitted a cry of defeat and lay there massaging his chest casually as if it had happened many times before. He dismissed Biggs and turned to Cloud.

"Yeah, you're strong," Barret continued. "Probably all them guys in SOLDIER are. But don't forget your skinny ass's working for AVALANCHE now! Don't get no ideas 'bout hangin' on to Shinra."

"Stayin' with Shinra?" Cloud snapped. "You asked me a question and I answered it… that's all. I'm going upstairs. I want to talk about my money."

Just as Cloud turned to leave the hideout, Tifa rode the pinball machine down.

"Wait! Cloud!" she huffed. She sounded out of breath.

"Tifa! Let him go!" yelled Barret. "Looks like he still misses the Shinra!"

Cloud whipped around and faced him. He could feel his cheeks flushing with warmth as the anger he was so used to suppressing began to bubble towards the surface.

"Shut up! I don't care about Shinra or SOLDIER!" he erupted. "But don't get me wrong! I don't care about AVALANCHE or the Planet for that matter!"

Enraged, he ascended back into the bar and paced angrily, overcome by emotions. Moments later Tifa emerged from the hideout.

"Listen, Cloud. I'm asking you. Please join us."

"Sorry Tifa…" Cloud replied, turning away from her. He couldn't feel any bitterness towards his childhood friend and could already feel the calming effects her presence had on him. She was a good person, with a heart of pure gold. But they were worlds apart, with different views, outlooks and backgrounds. He didn't know what to think anymore.

"The planet is dying" she pleaded. "Slowly but surely it's dying. Someone has to do something."

"So let Barret and his buddies do something about it. It's got nothin' to do with me."

Cloud walked towards the front door. He liked Tifa a lot but he didn't share her compassion for the planet. If Barret wanted to protect it, then so be it, but he didn't want to be a part of it. All things died eventually; the planet was no different.

"So!" Tifa huffed. "You're really leaving!? You're just going to walk right out ignoring your childhood friend!?"

Cloud turned around to face her once more.

"What…?" he gasped. "How can you say that?"

Tifa put her hands on her waist.

"You forgot the promise, too," she said.

"Promise?" Cloud asked, confused. He couldn't remember any promise. He wasn't the kind of guy who made promises. They could be broken so easily.

Tifa looked down at the ground.

"So you _did_ forget. Remember… Cloud, it was seven years ago. Do you remember the well?"

"Yeah… back then," he replied. "I thought you would never come, and I was getting a little cold."

He thought back to that day, and suddenly everything came flooding back.

_To be continued..._


	10. Pleasant Memories

He was back in Nibelheim, his and Tifa's hometown. It was a glorious night, just getting dark, and the azure blue sky was filled with stars. He was sat on the large wooden well that was the centrepiece for the village. Quaint houses surrounded him and the street was cobbled. The air was mild, but he remembered getting chilly sat high up on the well, and he wondered if Tifa would ever show up.

"Sorry I'm late," Tifa said as she approached him from behind. She sat down beside him. Cloud remembered how nice she looked. She wore a turquoise dress and shoes to match. She had made a lot of effort. "You said you wanted to talk to me about something?"

Cloud hesitated for a second, looking into the sky as if trying to garner inspiration from it.

"Come this spring… I'm leaving this town for Midgar."

Tifa sighed and looked down at her shoes.

"…All boys are leaving our town."

"But I'm different from all of them," he declared. "I'm not just going to find a job." He stood up. "I want to join SOLDIER. I'm going to be the best there is, just like Sephiroth."

"Sephiroth… the great Sephiroth," Tifa said dreamily.

Cloud climbed to the top of the well and looked up at the starry sky.

"Isn't it hard to join SOLDIER?"

Cloud nodded and then said, "I probably won't be able to come back to this town for a while."

"Will you be in the newspapers if you do well?" Tifa asked.

"I'll try."

"Hey, why don't we make a promise?" Tifa said excitedly. "Umm, if you get really famous and I'm ever in a bind, you come save me, all right?"

"What?" Cloud replied.

"Whenever I'm in trouble, my hero will come and rescue me. I want to at least experience that once."

"What?" Cloud said again. He was clueless about girls. He didn't understand them at all. He found them mysterious.

"Come on-!" she pleaded. "Promise me-!"

Cloud sighed and then said, "All right… I promise."

Cloud looked up into the starlit sky. He remembered this part as if it had happened only yesterday. A shooting star, glowing bright white, zoomed across the horizon, dousing the entire village in its ethereal light. A beacon thought Cloud.

_I promise._

_To be continued…_


	11. A Promise is a Promise

Cloud couldn't believe he had forgotten. He'd let her down, his childhood friend; yet here she was, bright-eyed and cheery from the pleasure of seeing him again. He didn't deserve her kindness or anyone else's for that matter. He had SOLDIER's blood running through his veins. Lots of guys couldn't make it in; you had to be cold-hearted to be one of the ranks. He should never have made a promise he couldn't keep.

"You remember now, don't you… our promise?" Tifa asked, her eyes full of hope.

"I'm not a hero," he admitted, "and I'm not famous. I can't keep… the promise."

"But you got your childhood dream, didn't you? You joined SOLDIER."

Cloud looked at the ground. He felt uncomfortable and didn't know what to say.

"So come on!" she pleaded. "You've got to keep your promise…"

Cloud was spared from answering when he saw Barret climb up the elevator like a huge spider. That guy was something else.

"Wait a sec big-time SOLDIER!" he huffed. "A promise is a promise! Here!"

He fished out a bag of gil from his jacket pocket and threw it to Cloud. He caught it with a swift hand and his heart dropped when he felt how light it was. 1500 gil. That was a pittance. The job was worth more than that. He raised his concerns with Barret.

"This is my pay? Don't make me laugh. You got the next mission lined up? I'll do it for 3000."

"What? Then you'll…!" Tifa gasped before being interrupted by Barret.

"What…!?" Barret yelled, his face flushing with anger.

What a cheapskate, thought Cloud.

"It's ok, it's ok," Tifa said to him and then whispered something to him that Cloud couldn't quite make out.

"That money's for Marlene's schoolin'," Barret replied, just audible to Cloud's ears. He got the impression it was something that Barret didn't want Cloud to know about. He turned to Cloud again. "2000!"

"Okay," he replied.

"Thanks Cloud," Tifa said as she walked up to him.

He was beat, so he went below the inn to take a little respite. There, he could focus his energy on the next mission without having anyone disturb him; that was the plan anyway. He realised half an hour later that he'd done more than focus his energy; he'd fallen asleep, something he really didn't want to do. He shook his head and made his way back upstairs to see that Tifa and Barret were waiting for him.

"Our target's the Sector 5 Reactor," declared Barret. "Head for the station first. I'll fill you in on the train."

Cloud just nodded at him.

"Yo! Cloud!" bellowed Barret. "Before the next mission, I got somethin' I wanna ask you! I, uh… I don't really know how to use Materia. I'll give you that Materia you found. Just teach me how to use it!"

Cloud sighed. He didn't really expect anything else from a brute like Barret. He was all muscle and brawn. Even so, they were comrades now and if the mission was successful, he'd get his money, so he gave Barret an in-depth tutorial about Materia, albeit unwillingly, of course.

"Shi…!" exclaimed Barret, like he'd just stubbed his toe on a sharpened object. "What's this 'It wasn't that tough!' crap! I'm clueless…"

Cloud sighed, louder this time.

"Well, you handle the Materia then!"

"I'm going this time," Tifa chimed in. She turned to Cloud. "Cloud! I got a message from the Weapon Shop man upstairs. He has something he wants to give you. Don't forget!"

She walked over to Marlene who was happily playing behind the bar, pretending to be all grown up and mixing drinks.

"Marlene, you watch the store while we're gone!"

"All right!" the little girl said. "Good luck."

Cloud, Tifa and Barret left the inn and headed for the Weapon Shop so that they could gather a few supplies for the next mission.

_To be continued…_


	12. Beginner's Hall

Above the Weapon's Shop was a room known as the Beginner's Hall. It was a dusty old room full to the brim with wooden crates. On top of the crates children play-fought and tried to master the techniques they'd learned from the adults that were nearby.

_Ah, to be a child again,_ Cloud thought. _Not a care in the world._

Cloud couldn't really remember most of his childhood but he remembered bits. He and Tifa went way back and used to spend a lot of time together. He recalled his small village nestled below the peaks of Mt. Nibel. He vaguely remembered his dear mother who died way before her time. Her face faded from his memory with each passing day and he was certain that her voice would have also faded were it not for his dreams.

He spotted something glimmering in the corner. He examined it and then pocketed it. It was an All Materia. This would definitely come in handy, especially for their next mission. He also found an Ether and a few other oddities.

Just as they were about to leave, one of the children decided to up the ante and started hitting his combatant with all of his might.

"Help!" screamed the child, turning her back to her aggressor in the hope that he'd stop. When he didn't, Cloud intervened.

"You've got to hang in there," he told her. "Your limit gauge is just starting to build."

The three brawny adults that were stood in front of them screamed in unison as if they had never before witnessed a fiercer fight.

_Bunch of cowards,_ thought Cloud, shaking his head.

He watched the girl carefully as she hung in there and tried to block the boy's punches as best as she could. Her face was a picture of steely determination. As a seasoned professional, Cloud could tell when someone had neared their limit, and the girl had just reached hers.

"Ok! Now your limit gauge is full, go ahead and use it! Fight with your limit technique."

Taking Cloud's advice in her stride, the girl suddenly whipped around and threw brutal punches as fast as the wind, knocking her opponent to the ground in a flash.

"Great!" Cloud exclaimed.

Everyone in the room whooped and cheered at the girl's display of her hidden strength. After a moment or two, the boy stood up, dusted himself off and shook her hand.

"Wait!" shouted a man wearing a white tank top, jeans and a hardhat, just as Cloud and his team were about to leave for the second time. "You say you're a beginner?" he began, looking intently into Cloud's eyes. "But your eyes say you're not."

Cloud, feeling a sense of pride boom in his chest, said to him, "Don't mess with me. I used to be in SOLDIER. I'll tell you how much I know… an' for free too!"

The man took him up on his offer, which pleased Cloud greatly. He hadn't joined SOLDIER just to fight. He had joined to better himself in the world of combat. He taught the man everything he knew. He just wished he had charged him a fee after all.

Back in the Weapon's Shop, the trio was collared by the sales clerk.

"Hey HEY!" he yelled. "Waitaminit you! You can't just walk outta here without buying somethin'... Might be unhealthy for ya, if you know what I mean."

The clerk, while maybe not having the best sales pitch, still managed to persuade Cloud to buy a few things.

Next stop was the Item and Materia Shop. An elderly man owned it and was clearly surprised to see them.

"Oh! Look at this! This doesn't happen everyday. You a… customer?"

He laughed heartily as if he had just received some brilliantly life-changing news.

"Yes! Welcome! We sell! We buy!"

Cloud decided to buy a supply of potions and some new destructive Materia. It would be rude not to. Potions were a life-saver; destructive Materia just made fighting a whole lot easier.

They thanked the shopkeeper, who in turn thanked _them_ for supporting his future, and made their way to the train station.

_To be continued…_


	13. Lock Down

The train was filled with people – commuters, loners, drunkards and homeless people mostly. This seemed to rile Barret, probably because an oversight like a busy car could massively disrupt the plan.

"Yo!" he yelled. "Looks like this ain't no private car! So split up!"

Cloud saw the brute's face crumple like something dead had just crawled up his nostrils. He was glaring at a snobby commuter in a pristine scarlet coloured suit. He ran the length of the car, his footfalls sounding monstrous, and stood in front of the man, who had now sat down on one of the seats.

"You say sumthin'?"

His question was greeted with a tense silence. If the man _had_ said something then he sure wasn't going to admit to it.

"I said, 'you say somethin'!?" Barret repeated.

When he still didn't get a response, he inched close to the man's face and said with an intimidating demeanour, "Yo, look at that! It got empty alluva sudden. What's goin' on?"

"DAMN!" the suited and booted man piped up. "I… it's empty because of g, guys like you…"

Barret swooped in like a crazed bat and punched the empty seat next to the commuter with such force that it seemed to shake the entire car.

"Y, Y, YIPES!" he screamed. "You… you've seen the news, right? AVALANCHE says there'll be more bombings. Only devoted employees like me would go to Midgar on a day like today."

Barret suddenly took a step back.

"You workin' for Shinra?"

"I won't give in to violence," the man humbly announced. "And I'm not giving you my seat either!" he finished, with a clear snootiness in his voice.

Barret seemed to be gearing up for another insult but Tifa stopped him before he could open his mouth. She ran the entire length of the car, her ponytail swinging back and forth.

"Barret!" she yelled.

"Bastard! You lucky bastard!" roared Barret, gritting his teeth. He was getting angrier and angrier.

"So, what are we gonna do now?" Cloud asked as Tifa led Barret back up to the rear of the car. He couldn't care less about petty arguments with petty businessmen, especially businessmen who worked for Shinra, the so-called supplier of Mako energy throughout Midgar. Cloud knew other things though; things that the multi-million-gil corporation would much rather keep hidden.

"Shit!" shouted Barret. "The hell you so calm about? You bustin' up my rhythm…"

Suddenly the train whirred into motion and they began to move.

"Seems like they just finished connecting the cars," said Tifa. "We're finally leaving."

"So what's our next target?" asked Cloud, eager to get the mission rolling.

"Hah! Listen to Mr. Serious-about-his-work!" roared Barret with a mocking laugh. "Awright…I'll tell ya! Jessie's already probably told you, but there's a security check point at the top plate. It's an ID scan system checkin' all the trains."

"Which Shinra is very proud of," added Tifa with a hint of disgust in her voice.

"We can't use our fake ID's anymore…" continued Barret.

A loud voice boomed through the car as an automated message sounded.

'_Good morning, and welcome to Midgar lines. Arrival time to sector 4 station will be 11:45."_

"That means we've got only three more minutes to the ID check point," said Tifa worriedly.

"Alright, in three minutes we're jumpin' off this train," yelled Barret. "Got it!?"

It seemed like less of a plan and more like a recipe for disaster. Did Barret realise just how fast the train was moving? At this speed, they would break limbs, maybe worse. Not only that but if they all jumped too soon they'd be miles from their destination. The guy might be all brawn, but he certainly wasn't very brainy - at least that's the impression he gave off anyway. Still, it wasn't his problem. As long as he got his money…

"Cloud, come over here!" Tifa called. She was at the other end of the car. "Let's look at the Railway Map Monitor."

Cloud ambled over, disinterested. Jessie had already shown him and he didn't really wish to see it again. Tifa apparently noticed his indifference.

"Hmm, it looks like you've seen this already… It's alright," she cooed. "Come a little closer."

He edged closer, so close now that he could smell her freshly shampooed hair. Suddenly, an ear-piercing siren reverberated through the car, and a red light flashed on and off.

"That's odd," said Tifa, turning to face Cloud. "The ID Check Point was supposed to be further down."

'_Type A Security Alert!' _a voice blared. '_Unidentified passengers confirmed… a search of all cars will be conducted! Repeat! Type A Security Alert! Unidentified passengers confirmed… a search of all cars will be conducted!_

"What's happening?" Tifa groaned.

Barret thundered down the length of the car to meet them. Cloud was sure he could feel the floor shake under his feet.

"What's goin' on! he yelled, alarmed.

A girl in a Shinra uniform came rushing through the doors that connected the car they were into the next one. It looked a lot like Jessie, Cloud realised.

"We're in trouble," she told them. "I'll explain later. Hurry! Get to the next car!"

"Shit!" Barret screamed. "Someone blew it…"

'_Unidentified passengers located in car 1. Preparing for Lock Down.'_

"Let's go!" Barret ordered. "Keep it up!"

They bolted through the door and into the second car just as the locks clicked into place. A second later and they'd have been trapped in there, and subsequently captured and taken into custody.

The automated voice blared again.

'_Car 1: Locked Down. Upgrading to Level 2 Warning_.'

Biggs and Wedge were in this car. The duo beckoned them over.

"Hurry!" Biggs cried, his voice frantic.

"They're gonna lock the door, sir!" Wedge yelled.

Biggs and Wedge disappeared through the door ahead, quick as a flash.

"Just run!" cried the girl, as the automated voice boomed over her. "Changing to Plan 2!"

_Some plan_ thought Cloud as his heart thundered in his chest. He might have the skills of someone from SOLDIER but he wasn't cut out for this kind of amateur shit. This kind of thing whittled your stamina down to zero because it was too abrupt and messy. A good plan needed stability.

Still, he had to give it a try. Tifa and Barret followed her into the car ahead and Cloud tagged along behind.

As soon as they entered the third car, the voice blared again. It had a haunting quality to it now, like a malevolent spirit that you could never run from. Then, with a stroke of luck, the flashing lights and sirens ceased, leaving Cloud with a faint buzzing noise in his ears, as well as the sound of his own blood pumping through his brain.

"Awright!" Barret cheered. "We clear!?"

"Not yet," the girl who Cloud realised was Jessie informed the group. "They're starting another check. If we're caught, we're done for! But, don't worry. If we move up the train, car by car, we should get past it!"

_Oh, great _Cloud thought. So it still wasn't over. He guessed that this was just the eye of the storm.

'_Unidentified passengers: Moving to front of train. Currently tracking location.'_

They were really cutting it fine now. Cloud, Tifa and Barret bolted through the car and into the adjoining one, with just seconds to spare.

'Car 3: Locked down. Upgrading to Warning Level 4'.

In the final car, the voice informed its passengers that the maximum security had just been reached. Cloud likened the voice to a bad smell that wouldn't go away or an itch that only worsened in severity the more you scratched at it. It was a sign that things couldn't really get any worse than this… unless they got caught, of course. He couldn't let that happen.

Cloud eyed Jessie; she was stood at the very front of the train next to a man wearing a very fake moustache and a concealing trench coat. He followed Barret and Tifa down the car towards them.

"All right!" cheered Barret. "We made it! Let's go! We're gonna dive outta here!"

Jessie, looking very smart in her Shinra uniform, looked at Cloud and beckoned him to come a little closer.

"It's me, Jessie," she informed him, even though he had twigged it was her a while back. "How do I look, Cloud? Do I look good in a Shinra uniform?"

"Yeah, you look great, just like a man."

"Yay!" Jessie squealed. "I'm so happy… I think?"

Tifa turned to Cloud this time. What was it with girls wanting his attention all the time? He didn't give any signals out. He just kept himself to himself. In fact, he considered himself to be a cold mercenary. Maybe it turned them on. Women sure were strange.

"Scary… huh," she said to him, a definitive shake in her voice.

"Too late to be saying that now," said Cloud coldly. "Why'd you come along anyway?"

"Because…"

"Hey you two!" Barret interrupted. "There ain't no time for that!"

"Yeah!" Tifa suddenly blurted. "I've made up my mind! Watch closely. I'm gonna jump!"

And before Cloud could even blink, she had done it. She'd jumped. He had to admit, the girl had gusto. He turned to Barret.

"You don't care if I go first?"

"A leader always stays to the end," Barret told him. "Don't worry 'bout me, just go!"

Cloud walked over to the open door. A cold wind was slamming into his face and the noise from outside was deafening.

"Yo! Don't go gettin' your spikey-ass hurt! It's only the beginnin' of the mission!"

And with that in mind, Cloud jumped.

_To be continued…_


	14. The Mission

The jump wasn't as bad as he thought it was going to be. He rolled up into a tight ball, using his arms and legs as protection and made the landing without so much as a scratch. Luckily so had Tifa.

They had landed in a tubular structure that was composed entirely out of metal, which had massive support struts supporting it in the centre. Colourful lights of green, red and yellow flashed in a non-uniform fashion. They must have been really close to their destination by now.

Barret met up with them a few minutes later, holding his head and wearing a sheepish expression. Cloud assumed his landing had been a little less than perfect.

"Good, so far everything's going as planned," he told the group, trying to ignore the fact that his jump hadn't been as polished as he'd hoped. "Better not let your guard down till we get to the Sector 5 Reactor. Biggs, Wedge and Jessie got everything ready for us. So MOVE it."

He inspected his surroundings for a brief moment.

"Well, the reactor's just down this tunnel!" he told Cloud and Tifa as they began to traverse the tunnel. They didn't get very far; as they rounded a corner they found that their route was blocked by bright beams of light.

"Those light beams are the Shinra's security sensors. We can't go any further," said Cloud, as they stood before the five neon green beams.

He looked to his left and saw a small hole in the tunnel wall.

"That's one damn tiny hole," scoffed Barret. "You tellin' me to squeeze into that to get under the plate? No way! Yo, Cloud, what're we gonna do?"

"We'll look inside closely," replied Cloud.

They knelt down and inspected the hole scrupulously.

"…There seems to be nothing that'll get us stuck in this duct," said Tifa after a short while.

"Yeah. If we go down this duct, we won't be able to come back up here," Cloud warned.

Barret seemed unsure and started pacing, but finally admitted it was the best idea they had out of the bunch.

"Don't be wastin' time. Never know when the Shinra'll find us," he said. "Cloud, you jes' gotta go."

Cloud nodded in agreement.

"But, damn man, that thing gives me the chills," Barret admitted.

Cloud went through the duct first, followed closely by Tifa and finally, Barret. The thing was infested with pesky little bug-like creatures; mutated scorpions and the like. They were easy enough to deal with, his blade cutting through their flesh like butter. With Tifa's fists of iron and Barret's gun arm, any creatures they came face to face with didn't really stand a chance. Would they be able to fight off masses of soldiers as easily? He doubted it. They had to move fast, and stealthily.

They met Jessie as they descended further into the metal metropolis that housed the reactor. She appeared crestfallen. Cloud asked her why.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, looking down at her feet. "The ID scan problem on the train was all my fault. I made your ID card special… so that's why it happened… I put my heart into making it. But I failed."

Cloud patted her on the back and said that it didn't matter anymore. It had already happened. No point dwelling in the past.

As they went deeper inside, they met up with Biggs, who informed them that they were going to pull out and that they would meet them back at the hideout.

"Cloud, we're countin' on you to blow the reactor!" he exclaimed before saluting them and running off back in the opposite direction.

Cloud, Tifa and Barret continued on and eventually made it to the reactor. A huge furnace puffing out plumes of Mako energy stood in the centre of the colossal metal building. Machines whirred noisily in the background and the ground shook. Cloud surveyed his surroundings. They needed to reach the bottom floor, but there were no stairs or ladders close by. Instead, they had to slide down a massive chute. As usual, the only person who objected was Barret. With a few words of advice from Cloud (more like a hard shove), he ended up being the first one down.

There was a bridge at the bottom, spanning the entire length of the building, wall to wall. Beneath the bridge swirled masses and masses of pure Mako energy, bright aquamarine in colour. Cloud and his team would place the bomb at the far right side of the bridge and then get themselves back to safety before it detonated.

Without warning, Cloud felt a sharp pain in his temples and a searing sound roared through his ears. Collapsing to the ground, he merely closed his eyes for a second before he fell into unconsciousness.

* * *

"Papa…" Tifa cried as the body of a man lay before her. A long, thin sword lay next to him, slick with blood. "Sephiroth!? Sephiroth did this to you, didn't he!?"

She knelt down next to him and held his lifeless body in her hands.

"Sephiroth… SOLDIER… Mako Reactors… Shinra… Everything!" She looked up and held her arms out despairingly. "I hate them all!"

Cloud could only watch helplessly as Tifa ran into the heart of the Mako Reactor.

* * *

"Damn man, get a hold of yourself!" Barret yelled, rousing Cloud from a deep sleep.

He was lying face down on the ground. The floor was freezing cold against his flesh and as he exhaled he could see steam frosting the surface. He glanced up to see Tifa striding towards him.

"You all right?" she asked him.

"…Tifa," he muttered, vivid images from the dream flashing before his eyes.

"Mmm?"

"No… forget… come on, let's hurry!"

He quickly stood up, brushed himself off and planted the bomb at the far right side of the bridge as planned. Cloud knew of a shortcut back to safety, but on the way they came across a heavily guarded door, complete with a three-man locking system.

"Jessie said we all have to push the button at once," said Tifa as they stood before a large metal panel with three large, square buttons set upon it.

Cloud and Tifa pushed theirs in unison, but Barret was just a little too late, and the door remained firmly shut. Their next attempt was a success. With little time to spare, the trio raced through the open door, into another bridged area. The slums stood hundreds of metres below them. Just looking down made Cloud feel physically sick.

"This way!" Barret yelled as he ran towards the left exit.

A horde of Shinra soldiers dived through the door.

"Shinra soldiers!?" he gasped. "SHIT! What the hell's goin' on?"

"…a trap…" muttered Cloud. Suddenly, he could hear footsteps…

_To be continued…_


	15. Airbuster

A blonde heavyset man sporting a thick moustache and wearing a maroon coloured suit stood in the centre doorway, his shoes click-clacking as he walked to his spot.

"Presi… President Shinra?" Barret gasped.

"Why is the President here?" Tifa wondered.

"Hmm… So you all must be that… what was it?" began the President in a snobby, nasally voice.

"AVALANCHE!" Barret suddenly belted out. "And don't ya forget it! And you're President Shinra, huh?"

Cloud walked a few metres towards the President so that he could stand face to face with him.

"Long time no see, President," he said, coolly.

"Long time no see?" the President replied as if Cloud wasn't worth remembering. "Oh… you. You're the one who quit SOLDIER and joined AVALANCHE. I knew you'd been exposed to Mako, from the look in your eyes… Tell me, traitor, what was your name?"

"Cloud."

"Forgive me for asking, but I can't be expected to remember each person's name. Unless you become another Sephiroth. Yes, Sephiroth. He was brilliant. Perhaps too brilliant…"

"Sephiroth…?" Cloud gasped. He stepped back.

Barret suddenly pushed past Cloud.

"Don't give a damn 'bout none of that!" he bellowed, his voice full of steely anger. "This place's goin' up with a big BANG soon! Serves y'all right!"

The President coolly counteracted Barret's angry tirade with his own sharp words.

"And such a waste of good fireworks, just to get rid of vermin like you…"

"VERMIN!?" Barret screamed. "That's all you can say… VERMIN! Y'all Shinra're the VERMIN, killing the planet! And that makes you King VERMIN! So shu'up jackass!"

Cloud cringed. Barret was definitely a loose cannon. He also appeared to have a death wish. People who spoke to the President with such vitriolic words rarely lived for very long, in Cloud's knowledge.

"….You are beginning to bore me," the President huffed. "I'm a very busy man, so if you'll excuse me… I have a dinner I must attend."

Barret rushed towards the President, uncaring of the consequences.

"Dinner!? Don't gimme that! I ain't even started wit' you yet!"

"But I've made arrangements for a playmate for you all."

The President clicked his fingers.

Tifa whipped her head round to her left upon hearing a strange noise.

"!? What's that noise?"

It was a whirring buzzing sound, like some sort of heavy machinery that had gone haywire. It wasn't long before the source of the noise came into focus; a huge robot that had been created to resemble a soldier.

"The hell is this!?" Barret yelled, waving his fist in the air.

"Meet 'Airbuster'," the President said with a sense of pride in his voice. "A techno-soldier. Our Weapon Development Department created him. I'm sure the data he'll extract from your dead bodies will be of great use to us in future experiments."

"…Techno-soldier?" Cloud asked, the name piquing his interest.

A helicopter rose up from the depths below, no doubt to take the President away from the soon-to-be battleground and to whisk him away to his 'oh-so-important' dinner party.

"Now then," he began smugly, "if you'll excuse me."

"Wait, President!" Cloud yelled, running up to him, but it was too late; he'd hopped into the helicopter and was whisked upwards and away.

_Coward!_

"Yo, Cloud!" shouted Barret, facing 'Airbuster'. "We've gotta do somethin' 'bout him!"

'Airbuster' suddenly started to advance on Barret and Tifa, eventually cornering them.

"Help, Cloud!" Tifa screamed. "THIS is from SOLDIER?"

"No way!" Cloud replied. "It's just a machine."

"I don't care what it is!" Barret yelled. "I'm gonna bust him up!"

Since 'Airbuster' was focusing on Barret and Tifa, Cloud was able to get in behind and unleash the first attack. His sword wasn't powerful enough, however, and simply clashed off the robot's solid metal armour.

"Try using Bolt on it!" Tifa suggested.

Before he could wield the spell, 'Airbuster' unleashed a devastating rocket attack that forced Cloud to the ground. Tifa took her own advice and quickly cast a Bolt spell on it. Its metal casing fizzled and popped as the heat from the spell took hold. It looked like it had been weakened. Barret unleashed a torrent of bullets at it while Cloud slashed it again with his sword, severing some of its major wires. A final Bolt spell from Cloud finally rendered the robot useless.

'Airbuster', now broken beyond repair, started to shake uncontrollably. Plumes of smoke rose from its hulking body and electricity crackled from within it. Suddenly, the robot exploded, sending shockwaves through the air and creating a huge gaping hole in the floor. Cloud lost his footing and was dangling perilously above the slums below, hanging onto dear life with his right arm. A fall from this height would certainly end in death.

"It's gonna blow!" yelled Barret. "Let's go, Tifa!"

"Barret!" she cried. "Can't you do something?"

"Not a damn thing."

"Cloud! Please don't die! You can't die! There's still so much I want to tell you!" sobbed Tifa as she helplessly watched him.

"I know, Tifa…" Cloud replied, his voice breathy as he tried desperately to cling on.

"Hey, you gonna be awright?" Barret asked.

"You worry about yourselves!" he yelled. "I'm alright, but take care of Tifa!"

He didn't know how much longer he could hold on for.

"…Alright. Sorry 'bout all this."

"Stop talkin' like this is the end!" demanded Cloud.

"Alright, then, later," Barret said.

A massive explosion suddenly ripped through the reactor, knocking Barret and Tifa to the ground. Cloud, unable to withstand the shockwaves, lost his grip and fell to the slums below. He closed his eyes tightly but the vision of Tifa's tear-stained face was still imprinted into his eyelids.

_To be continued…_


	16. Falling to Heaven

"…You all right?" came an eerie yet beautiful voice that sounded like it was coming from another planet.

"Can you hear me?"

"…Yeah…" Cloud mumbled.

"Back then…" the voice continued, "You could get by with just skinned knees…"

Barely conscious, and unsure if he was still alive, Cloud decided to talk back to the ethereal voice.

"…What do you mean by 'back then'?"

"What about now? Can you get up?"

Where was he? Was this the Lifestream? He felt nothing. It was if he was suspended in an ocean of warm currents, but instead of water, it was a substance he could breathe in.

"…What do you mean by 'that time'? … What about now?"

"…Don't worry about me," said the voice. "You just worry about yourself now."

"…I'll give it a try," Cloud said.

"How about that? Take it slow now. Little by little..."

"I know," Cloud replied.

"Hello, hello?" interjected another voice. This voice was very different and seemed closer. She sounded like a young woman who talked with youthful, melodic tones.

"Hey… who are you?" asked Cloud, his eyes heavy and unresponsive.

"Hello, hello!" the voice chirped back.

He opened his eyes. They were sore and his vision was blurred. He blinked a few times, trying to refocus his lenses. A roof came into view. It was high up, and intricately designed.

_Like a church roof_, he thought. _How did I get into a church?_

It was also dilapidated, with a huge hole in the centre of it, prompting Cloud to believe he was in the slums.

"You okay?" a woman's voice asked.

He cocked his head and saw a familiar-looking woman peering down at him, her eyes full of warmth and her mouth upturned into a smile. The flower girl.

"This is a church in the Sector 5 slums," she informed him. "It suddenly fell on top of me. It really gave me a scare."

He began to remember snippets of the not-so-distant past.

"…I came crashing down?"

She nodded.

"The roof and the flower bed must have broken your fall. You're lucky."

He looked down. Beautiful flowers in every colour you could imagine blossomed all around him.

"Flower bed… is this yours?" he asked her.

He stood up and brushed himself off, looking down at his feet to inspect the damage he'd done to the sweet girl's flowers. To his amazement, none of them seemed to have sustained any damage at all. Why was that, he wondered?

He cleared his throat. "Sorry about that."

"That's all right," she replied. "The flowers here are quite resilient because this is a sacred place."

She turned her back to him and looked up as if contemplating the world.

"They say you can't grow grass and flowers in Midgar," she said. "But for some reason, the flowers have no trouble blooming here."

She continued to gaze upwards as if taking solace from the heavens.

"I love it here."

She walked back over to the flowers and knelt down to look at them, her slender hands brushing softly over the petals as if they had feelings and needed loving attention.

"…So, we meet again," she said to him, her eyes full of hope.

Cloud felt uncomfortable and looked away, trying to hide his blushing cheeks with his hands. He had never felt comfortable around women. They were hard to understand. But this time he felt differently. He was shy. It wasn't a feeling he often associated himself with.

"…Don't you remember me?" she asked.

He slowly turned around.

"Yeah, I remember… you were selling flowers."

"Oh! I'm so happy!" she squealed, her turquoise coloured eyes lighting up. "Thanks for buying my flowers."

She looked down to tend to her flowers, her petite hands gently tugging loose some petals that had begun to wither.

"Say, do you have any materia?" she asked him.

"Yes, some. Nowadays you can find materia anywhere."

"But mine is special. It's good for absolutely nothing."

Cloud furrowed his brow. All materia was good for _something._

"…Good for nothing?" he asked. "You probably just don't know how to use it."

"No, I do… it just doesn't do anything." She sighed dreamily. "I feel safe just having it. It was my mother's…"

Cloud didn't know how to respond to this. He'd never heard of anyone growing fond of materia, let alone hanging on to it when it's practically useless. Materia was an aid for battle, not a memento.

"Say, I feel like talking," said the flower girl. "Do you feel up to it? After all, here we are meeting again, right?" She smiled.

"I don't mind," Cloud replied.

"Wait here. I've got to check my flowers. It'll just be a minute."

The young girl smiled at him again; it was an innocent smile that accentuated the warmth in her eyes. It was a shame that he didn't really long to take the time to really get to know girls.

He watched her tend to her flowers for some time and then walked over to her.

"Just a little longer," she told him. "Oh!" she gasped as if she had suddenly remembered something important. "Now that you mention it… we don't know each other's names, do we? I'm Aeris, the flower girl. Nice to meet you."

"The name's Cloud. Me…? I do a little bit of everything."

"Oh… a jack of all trades."

"Yeah, I do whatever's needed," Cloud told her.

Aeris started to giggle. She looked as if she was trying hard to suppress it, but just couldn't stop it.

"What's so funny?" Cloud asked, feeling slightly humiliated. "What are you laughing at?"

"Sorry, I just…" she looked down at her feet as if she was ashamed. "Sorry, bad timing on my part," Aeris told him, apologetically.

That didn't matter anymore. His sense of humour had been shot to pieces; it all stemmed from his past working for SOLDIER. What _did_ matter was the man who had just walked into the church and was staring at Aeris intensely. Cloud walked up to the strange auburn-haired man who was dressed head to toe in a navy suit.

"Cloud!" Aeris called out to him. "Don't let it get to you!"

"Hello?" Cloud said as he approached the man. His eyes were untrustworthy and his features sharp, Cloud noted.

"Don't worry about me," the man replied, a phrase that didn't sit right with Cloud. Something was awry.

He turned and walked back up to Aeris. She had seen the man and was peering at him.

"Say, Cloud," she began. "Have you ever been a bodyguard? You do DO everything, right?"

"Yeah, that's right."

"Then get me out of here. Take me home."

Cloud pondered this for a moment or two.

"OK," he said finally. "I'll do it. But it'll cost you."

"Well then, let's see… how about if I go out with you once?"

This was most definitely not the answer he was expecting. He didn't reply to her; in fact, it wasn't that he didn't want to, it was because he couldn't. He felt his face blush, turned away from her and put his head in his hands.

_To be continued…_


	17. The Pursuit

The strange man was still there Cloud noticed as he looked over his shoulder, trying desperately to escape this awkward predicament. Cloud swaggered over to him. Something wasn't right and he'd fight if he had to.

"I don't know who you are, but… you don't know me?"

A vague memory flashed through his head. This man… he knew who he was. He'd encountered him before.

_I know you._

"Oh yeah…" Cloud said, a hint of enmity creeping into his voice. "I know you. That uniform."

"Hey sis," the sly man said. "This one's a little weird."

Three soldiers stormed through the door and stood behind the man, rigid like statues, poised to strike out if Cloud posed a sudden threat.

"Shut up!" Cloud spat. "You Shinra spy!"

"Reno!" one of the soldiers piped up. "Want him taken out?"

Reno studied Cloud for a few seconds.

"I haven't decided yet."

"Don't fight here!" Aeris interjected. "You'll ruin the flowers!"

Cloud watched her as she ran through the church towards what looked like a back door. He decided to follow her. He didn't want to fight here. Aeris had dedicated her life to caring for the flowers blooming on the church floor and the last thing he wanted to do was ruin all of her hard work.

"The exit is back there," she said, pointing towards the door.

* * *

"They were… Mako eyes," Reno told his comrades.

He turned to face them and was angered to see them laughing between themselves.

_Stupid fools. Good for nothing but fighting. Not a brain between them._

"Yeah, all right. Back to work, back to work."

He walked over the flowers, partly due to spite and partly just for the fun of it. Flowers were stupid and looked so out of place in the slums. These parts were for rats and hooligans, not flowers. They crunched under his foot. What a satisfying sound.

"Oh!" He rushed back towards the soldiers, stopping at the edge of the flowerbed. "And don't step on the flowers…"

"Hey Reno!" one of them shouted. "You just stepped on them!"

"They're all ruined!" another shouted.

"You're gonna catch holy hell!" the third yelled.

* * *

The back room at the other end of the church was in complete disarray. Cloud and Aeris were standing on a wooden landing. A basement was beneath them and was covered in dust, debris and chunks of rotten wood that had crumbled from the landing and the rafters above. A huge concrete pillar had fallen down and had struck the left side of the landing, decimating it. The pillar itself was now propped against the side of the room.

Cloud could hear voices. Reno and his lackeys were pursuing them. He glanced towards some stairs that had been the victim of the fallen pillar. The middle steps had been completely smashed in and left a gaping hole which meant they would have to jump. Aeris went first, followed closely by Cloud. As they reached the top landing, Reno and his lackeys had made it into the room.

"There they are, over there!" Reno yelled.

Cloud looked down and saw their pursuers glaring up at them hungrily.

"Looks like they aren't going to let us go," Cloud grumbled.

"What should we do?" asked Aeris.

He turned to face her.

"Well, we can't let them catch us, can we? Then, there's only one thing left."

The floor in front of them had decayed. A massive hole separated them from the other side of the landing. They'd have to jump over it. Cloud went first.

"Aeris! This way!" he yelled, motioning with his hand for her to follow him.

"I can't!" she wailed. "It's too big! I'll have to find another way."

"All right. I'll hold them off," Cloud told her.

"Right. Make sure they don't get through!" exclaimed Aeris.

"The Ancient is getting away!" Reno roared from down below. "Attack! Attack! Attack!"

Rapid gunfire erupted through the air at lightning speed. The sound was sharp and excruciatingly loud, emphasised by the echoes bouncing off the walls. Aeris panicked and tried to jump over the gap, but she lost her footing and fell onto the fallen pillar, sliding all the way down.

"Aeris!" Cloud yelled.

He could hear Reno gloating.

"Think we killed 'em?" he asked his lackeys, his voice alarmingly smug. "They shouldn't have put up a fight, I say!"

Bastard! Cloud didn't regard his life as important; he didn't care what happened to him. He had put his life in jeopardy countless times before by working for Shinra. But he was maddened that these scumbags could put a young woman's life in danger and not even care whether she lived or died.

"Cloud, help!" Aeris screamed from the bottom of the room.

He looked down and was shocked to see one of the scumbag soldiers charging for her. There's no way she'd be able to hold him off.

"Damn!" Cloud yelled.

He looked up at the rafters and saw something balancing on the left beam.

"What's that?" he wondered. Maybe he could push it over the edge. It could act as a distraction at the very least. He couldn't just stand and watch. He had to give it a go.

"Aeris!" he shouted. "Hold on a minute!"

He raced up a rickety set of stairs and onto the rafters. He noticed that there were four large barrels up here, and they could certainly come in handy if he timed the pushes just right. It was a long shot. He also didn't have much time. He raced to the barrel that was stood on the upper left beam and pushed it over.

A strangled cry came from below. He glanced down and saw one of the soldiers lying on the ground with a barrel on top of him. It had worked!

"Thanks, Cloud," called Aeris.

He watched her run to the foot of the stairs that led to the first landing, but a soldier came charging down them and was poised, ready to grab her. She screamed again and begged Cloud to help her.

"Hold on!" he urged her.

He darted to the right side of the rafters and pushed over another barrel. This one hit the top of the stairs with a bang and rolled right down each step, knocking the soldier down like a domino.

Another soldier was pursuing her now. With two barrels left, he pushed over the one nearest to him. Right on target! The soldier crumpled like a deck of cards, allowing Aeris to climb up to the top landing and onto the rafters.

"Aeris, this way," he called, beckoning her towards him.

They had made it to the hole in the roof of the church; a way out. They clambered out, both gasping for breath, and finally made it to safety. They were stood atop the roof of the church. The slums spread out below them, dark and decaying, looking like a scene from a post-apocalyptic world.

"They're looking for me again," Aeris laughed, as though it was such a common occurrence it had become comical.

"You mean it's not the first time they've been after you?" Cloud asked.

"… No."

"They're the Turks," he told her.

"Hmmm."

"The Turks are an organization in Shinra. They scout for possible candidates for SOLDIER."

"This violently?" Aries asked. "I thought they were kidnapping someone."

"They're also involved in a lot of dirty stuff on the side," Cloud said with scorn in his voice. "Spying, murder… you know."

"They look like it," Aeris mumbled as if she thought the man and his cronies were still watching their every move.

"But, why're they after you?" Cloud asked, intrigued. "There must be a reason, right?"

"No, not really. I think they believe I have what it takes to be in SOLDIER!"

"Maybe you do. You want to join?"

"I don't know," Aeris mused. "But I don't want to get caught by THOSE people!"

"Then, let's go!" Cloud beckoned.

_To be continued…_


	18. A Positive Outlook

They crossed the rooftops of the many derelict houses, warehouses and disused shops. Cloud was swift, jumping, ducking and diving through the air as he hopped from roof to roof, but Aeris took her time, stopping at the edge of each roof and swinging her arms back and forth before making that final decision to jump.

"Wait…" called Aeris nervously. "Wait I said!"

He turned around and watched as she gingerly jumped from a roof. When she caught up with him she bent down and put her hands on her knees, breathing hard.

"Slow… down…Don't leave me…" she wheezed.

Cloud laughed to himself.

"Funny… I thought you were cut out to be in SOLDIER?"

"Oh!" she giggled. "You're terrible!"

They began to laugh and found that neither could stop. Cloud was chuckling so hard his chest hurt. He couldn't remember being this happy and carefree for a long time.

"Hey… Cloud," she began. "Were you… ever in SOLDIER?"

He paused for a moment. It was just a simple question but one of the hardest ones to answer.

"… I used to be," he said. "How did you guess?"

"… Your eyes. They have a strange glow…"

"That's the sign of those who have been infused with Mako…" he told her. "A mark of SOLDIER. But, how did you know about that?"

She averted his gaze.

"… Oh, nothing," she whispered.

"Nothing?"

"Right, nothing! Come on, let's go! Bodyguard!"

They eventually left the rooftops and made it onto the ground. Piles and piles of junk were spread out all around them. Essentially, that's what the slums were; a massive junkyard, smelly, dirty and full of polluted air. The worst thing of all is that people lived here. A lot of people wanted to leave but some knew nothing of the world beyond. This was their home and they loved it regardless.

"Whew!" Aeris said, exhaling. "Finally made it off! Now what…?"

She looked around nervously and then darted left towards the main residential area of the Sector 5 Slums.

"My house is over here," she called. "Hurry before he comes."

The houses were essentially huts, rusted and grimy, with years of damage marking their exterior, and dented roofs. Cloud wondered if the many dents and pockmarks were caused by shrapnel falling from the plate above, as well as general decay.

He looked around at all the rubble and bits of scrap metal; the belly of the plate above was definitely eroding. What chance did a person have if they were stuck by one of those rogue chunks?

They passed a man standing in front of a large metal pipe that on first glance looked like a disused sewer tunnel. When Cloud peeked closer he saw that there was a bluish light coming from inside, as if someone had got a television in there.

"That guy in the pipe's a weird one," the man said. "No matter what you ask him, he only answers 'uuh' or 'aahh'."

They stood directly in front of the pipe's entrance. A very sick looking man was inside perched on a grotty looking bed.

"This guy is sick," Aeris whispered. "He passed out nearby and someone must have helped him here."

They stepped inside. Cloud was taken aback by the stench. He had smelled it before. It was the smell of death. This man was dying.

The dying man looked up at them pleadingly. He seemed to recognise their presence but something in his eyes was cold and lifeless.

"This is the one… Won't you help him?" Aeris urged.

"Listen, I'm no doctor," replied Cloud shaking his head.

Aeris hung her head. "No… I guess not…"

Cloud eyed the man closely. His skin was pale, almost grey and his face was gaunt, resembling a skull with a layer of skin covering it. Whatever disease this man had got, it was slowly torturing him and the outlook was certain death. He didn't have to be a doctor to work that one out.

"Hey…" began Aeris. "That man has a tattoo. I think it was the number 2."

What did that mean? Cloud wondered. Not wanting to watch the man like he was some sort of freak show, he followed Aeris through the slums and into a passageway at the north end of the town that seemed to exude a beautiful turquoise coloured light.

The place that lay beyond was beautiful. Cloud looked around in awe. It was like a little piece of heaven had fallen from the sky and had settled in the wastelands that were the slums. It certainly didn't belong here.

A house stood proud and tall amidst a garden that was full of gleaming yellow flowers. Surrounding the garden were pools of glistening water that seemed to glow vibrantly. Was this where Aeris lived? He was fascinated that a place like this could flourish beneath the plate.

_A little piece of heaven _Cloud thought.

Aeris led him into the house. Upon entering, a beautiful smell greeted him; a warming mixture of fragrant flowers and cookie dough. The décor was soft and delicate with warm hues emanating from the lampshades on either wall. It was a far cry from the dirty houses of the slums.

"I'm home, mom," Aeris called.

A warm-faced woman ambled in from the kitchen wearing a forest green dress and donning an apron.

"This is Cloud," Aeris told her. "My bodyguard."

"Bodyguard…?" her mom asked, an anxious look spreading across her features. "You mean you were followed again!?" She moved closer to her daughter, cupping her face in her hands. "Are you all right!? You're not hurt, are you!?"

"I'm all right," Aeris told her reassuringly. "I had Cloud with me."

Aeris' mom looked over at Cloud. "Thank you, Cloud," she told him.

Her mom left the room, leaving the two of them alone.

"So what are you going to do now?" Aeris asked him.

"…Is Sector 7 far from here?" he asked. "I want to go to Tifa's bar."

"Is Tifa… a girl?" she inquired as she wrung her hands together nervously.

"Yeah."

"A girl… friend?"

"Girlfriend? No way!" Cloud scoffed.

Aeris hid her head in her hands and started to giggle. Cloud felt his face flush. What was going on? He didn't understand women at all.

"You don't have to get THAT upset…" she snapped. "Well… that's nice," she added, her voice calmer. "Let's see, Sector 7? I'll show you the way."

Cloud couldn't put her life in danger, not when the Turks were after her. He raised his concerns.

"You gotta be kidding. Why do you want to put yourself in danger again?"

"I'm used to it," she casually replied.

"Used to it?!" Cloud yelled, shocked that such a kind and gentle woman could acclimatise to such brutality. Another emotion swept through him then; embarrassment. It was the one thing he had no control over; his emotions. He liked to think of himself as a cold mercenary, but the truth is he had more emotions swimming around in his head than he'd like to admit.

"Well, I don't know… getting help from a girl…" he said feebly.

"A girl!" Aeris yelled, her calm demeanour dissipating in a flash. "What do you mean by that!?"

He sighed. Why did he always have to say the wrong thing?

"You expect me to just sit by and listen, after hearing you say something like that!?" She huffed, glaring at Cloud. "Mom! I'm taking Cloud to Sector 7. I'll be back in a while," she shouted to her, stubbornly.

Her mom descended the stairs and stood in the living room.

"But dear… I give up. You never listen once you've made up your mind. But if you must go, why don't you go tomorrow? It's getting late now."

"Yeah, you're right, mom," Aeris replied.

"Aeris, please go and make the bed."

With Cloud and Aeris' mom now alone, she decided to have a little heart-to-heart with him.

That glow in your eyes… you're from SOLDIER, right?"

"Yeah. Rather I used to be…"

She paused for a moment, her features panged with concern.

"I don't know how to say this, but… would you please leave here, tonight? Without telling Aeris."

He agreed. It was probably the right thing to do. Aeris was a stubborn woman, and strong-willed, but she also appeared gullible and sensitive. She wouldn't stand a chance if the Turks caught her.

He went upstairs to get a bit of shut-eye and found Aeris standing at the landing.

"You need to go through Sector 6 to get to Sector 7," she told him. "Sector 6 is a little dangerous so you'd better get some rest tonight."

"Okay."

"Cloud…" she called after him as he headed to his room. "Good night."

She went downstairs and disappeared from his view.

"Oh, man…" He didn't expect things to be this hard. He went to his room, shut the door behind him and settled down in the bed.

_To be continued…_


	19. Time to Think

The bed was so comfortable that it was akin to lying on fluffy clouds. The duvet was thick and warm, and the pillows were soft and downy and smelled of flowers.

Cloud's door was open just a crack. A warm sliver of light from the landing slipped through the space in the door and as he looked towards it he felt his eyes getting heavier and heavier.

_Seem pretty tired._

He hadn't felt this sleepy in a while. He could really get used to this.

_I haven't slept in a bed like this… in a long time._

It was just a shame that he'd have to leave this place in a few hours time; not only because he'd have to leave this room and all of its luxuries, but because he felt like he was letting Aeris down.

"Oh, yeah," Cloud thought aloud, remembering something from his past.

_Ever since that time._

He drifted off to sleep where a familiar dream slowly started to form in his mind. He was lying on his back, spread out on a green coloured bed. The room was large, with the bedroom, kitchen and lounge combining into one. It had a beautiful warm feeling to it and a lot of emotions struck his heart; namely, nostalgia. That feeling of nostalgia was so powerful that he felt like crying. His past had come back to greet him, but he couldn't touch it. It was so close, yet so far away. He wanted to scream.

"My, how you've grown. I'll bet the girls never leave you alone."

It was his mother. He only ever heard her voice in his dreams and it pained him to think that her voice was different somehow, fabricated by his own mind. How did he know that was what she really sounded like? His head was all over the place, just like his memories.

"…Not really," said Cloud.

She paced the room anxiously.

"… I'm worried about you. There are a lot of temptations in the city…" She sighed. "I'd feel a lot better if you just settled down and had a nice girlfriend."

"…I'm all right," Cloud told her.

"You should have…" She paused for a moment or two. "…an older girlfriend, one that'll take care of you. I think that would be the perfect type for you."

"… I'm not interested," Cloud murmured.

He woke with a start, his heart thumping.

"… I must have fallen asleep," he whispered to himself. He was hoping for a short nap; instead, he'd drifted off into a deep sleep.

Cloud stood up, brushed himself off and then headed towards the bedroom door.

"Sector 7's past Sector 6… I should be all right by myself…" he murmured to himself.

He could hear Aeris humming to herself in the adjoining room. She was awake so he'd have to be really quiet.

Cloud discretely opened his door and crept across the landing tentatively. The slightest sound could alert her so he had to be really careful. He crept down the stairs and eventually made it into the living room. He crept through here too, just to be on the safe side.

Back in the slums, he traipsed through the dirt tracks, passing the grimy metal huts and rusted shops. When he came to the crossroads that led to the different sectors, he was shocked and a little disorientated when he bumped into Aeris. How…? She was in her room just ten minutes ago! This wasn't going to plan at all…

"You're up bright and early," she said chirpily.

Cloud sighed and shook his head.

"How could I ask you to go along when I knew it would be dangerous?" he said.

Aeris let out an annoyed sigh.

"Are you done?" she asked him, her arms folded tightly across her chest. "You have to go through the slum in Sector 6 to get to Tifa's Seventh Heaven. I'll take you there. Come on!"

Cloud reluctantly followed her across a cracked concrete road. Massive fissures cut through its surface. Some parts were raised in parts as if an earthquake had torn through it. The road would have been impossible to navigate if it wasn't for the dedication of the slum-folk who had built simple wooden ramps up to the raised areas. Utilizing the rudimentary ramps, Cloud and Aeris reached the other side, battling a slum creature or two along the way.

A dilapidated play-area awaited them at the other side, with a small area of the waste-ground set behind it. He doubted that any parent would let their child play on the broken slide and swings there; but children had to have fun, didn't they? What else was there for them to do?

"The gate to Sector 7's in there," Aeris told him, pointing towards the waste-ground.

"Thanks. I guess this is goodbye," he told her, hoping she'd take the hint. "You gonna be all right going home?"

"Oh no!" she blurted. "Whatever will I do!?"

Cloud looked at her and furrowed his brow. What was all that about?

"…Isn't that what you want me to say?"

"So, you really want to come with me?" Cloud asked her.

"I could do that. But won't I be in your way?"

"What do you mean in the way?"

Aeris smiled. "Nothing!"

She took a sharp intake of breath.

"Can we take a break?" she asked.

He decided it would be a good idea to take a small breather. They walked through the gate leading to the play area and stopped there for a short while. Aeris looked up at a metal dome that appeared to depict a cute, round creature of some sort. The slide that came out of it was supposed to be its tongue.

"I can't believe it's still here," said Aeris.

As quick as a cat, she ran around the dome, climbed up and sat down on top of it.

"Cloud, over here!" she called.

He followed and sat down next to her. It was oddly reminiscent of that time he and Tifa sat at the well back in Nibelheim. Thinking about it gave him a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"What rank were you?" she asked him.

"Rank?"

"You know, in SOLDIER."

"Oh, I was…" A flashback caught him off guard. In a split second, it had come, and in a split second, it had gone again. "First Class."

"Just the same as him," Aeris said, her voice drifting off.

"The same as who?"

"My first boyfriend."

"You were… serious?" he asked her.

"No. But I liked him for a while."

"I probably knew him. What was his name?"

"It doesn't really matter," Aeris said, her voice taking on a melancholic edge.

In the background was a large concrete wall with a metal gate fixed in the centre. It opened up with a low rumble, causing Cloud to turn and look. A Chocobo scampered out pulling an elaborate, maroon and purple coloured carriage cart. He glanced inside and could have sworn he saw Tifa sat inside wearing a shiny purple dress.

"Huh? Hey, back there…" He stood up. "Tifa!?"

Aeris had also stood up and was watching the cart and its occupant with keen curiosity.

"That girl in the cart was Tifa? Where was she going? She looked kind of odd…"

The carriage cart continued right and had rounded the corner so fast that Cloud knew he'd have little chance at catching up to her.

Aeris, seemingly eager to find out more about Tifa, jumped off the slide and tried to catch up with her.

"Wait!" Cloud yelled after her. "I'll go on alone! You go home!"

He shook his head and sighed. He had no choice but to follow her. He jumped off the slide and headed after Aeris.

_To be continued…_


	20. Dress to Impress

He eventually found Aeris in a vast marketplace that was brimming with stalls and ramshackle shops and full of all sorts of shady people.

"This place is scary in a lot of ways," Aeris began. "Especially for a girl. So we've got to find Tifa fast."

They started their search at some sort of dodgy inn. A few shady men were stood outside, as well as a Shinra soldier and a scantily clad woman with a heavily made-up face. The place gave him the creeps. He didn't want Tifa to hang around in a place like this.

"Welcome!" a suited-up man greeted them as they walked towards the entrance. "Even unpopular dweebs like you may meet their destiny here! You looking for a girlfriend too?"

"You know a girl named Tifa?" Cloud asked, cutting straight to the point.

"Hey, you're pretty fast," said the man. "Tifa's our newest girl. But unfortunately, she's having an interview right now. Here at the Honey Bee Inn, it's customary for all the new girls to be taken to Don Corneo's mansion. Don Corneo's a famous dilettante. Now he wants to settle down and is in the market for a bride."

What had Tifa gotten herself involved in? Don Corneo? Bride? He needed to find her, and _fast. _He and Aeris asked around for the whereabouts of this man and his mansion and eventually tracked it down at the very north end of the marketplace.

The mansion wasn't what he expected. The walls had been painted gold and seemed to glisten in the unnatural light of the marketplace. He was getting an impression of this Don Corneo character already; a loudmouth, vulgar in both appearance and speech, someone who thought they were the bee's knees and looked like they were worth a million gil even though they were really quite ugly. And he hadn't even met the guy yet!

A muscleman was stood outside the mansion, his arms bristling.

"This is the mansion of Don Corneo, the most powerful man in Wall Market." He raised an eyebrow and looked Cloud up and down. "Look, the Don's not into men. So don't let me catch you around here again…"

He switched his gaze and now peered at Aeris, his eyes stopping at her breasts and then tracing all the way down to her legs.

"Hey, and you got another cute one with you!"

They edged backwards so that they could talk without Mr. Muscle listening in on their conversation.

"I'll go take a look," said Aeris. "I'll tell Tifa about you."

"No!" yelled Cloud. "You can't!"

"Why?" she asked naively.

"You DO know… what kind of… place this is, don't you?"

"Then what am I supposed to do? You want to go in with me?"

"Well being a man, that'll be pretty hard. Besides, if I bust in there, it'll cause too much commotion. But, I just can't let you go in alone… Oh, man… First… we need to find out if Tifa's alright…"

He got the distinct impression that Aeris wasn't taking him very seriously, considering that she had turned away and was giggling madly to herself.

"What's so funny, Aeris?"

She turned to face him, her face red and her eyes watery from laughter.

"Cloud, why don't you dress up like a girl? It's the only way."

"WHAT!?" Cloud screamed, so loudly that he almost burst his own eardrums.

She wouldn't even listen to his protests against the idea. She'd already bounded towards Mr. Muscle.

"Just wait," he could hear her telling him. "I've got a cute friend I want to bring."

He could feel his face turning beet red. This was way outside his comfort zone.

"Aeris!" he pleaded. "I can't…"

Aeris pouted and put her hands on her hips.

"You ARE worried about Tifa, aren't you? Then come on, hurry!"

She was right. And Tifa was his childhood friend after all.

_Oh, man,_ he thought. _The things I do for girls. _

Cloud reluctantly followed Aeris to a clothing shop that catered for girls. The décor was girly and purple and the air smelled of cloying fragrances that made his nose sore.

"Excuse me!" said Aeris, getting the clerk's attention. "I'd like to get a dress."

"Um… it might take a little time," the clerk said. "Will that be all right?"

"What's the problem?" Aeris asked her.

"Well, my father, the owner, has been in a slump lately. You see, he makes all the dresses."

"And where is your father?"

"He's probably plastered at the bar."

"So… you're saying we can't get a dress unless we do something about your father?"

The clerk dipped her head.

"Yes, I'm sorry. He's caused so much trouble. You'd help me bring him back?"

"Well, if we don't do something, we don't get a dress, right?"

"Really!?" she cried, her face lighting up. "Please help my crazy old dad. I just don't know what to do anymore…"

"All right, we'll do something. Let's go, Cloud!"

They left the clothes shop and headed to the nearby bar. It was run down and gaudy, with faux wood tables that looked worn and tatty and gold coloured bar stools. A drunken man was sat at the bar with his head in his hands. This man, Cloud thought, definitely appeared to be in some sort of slump.

"Excuse us," Aeris began. "Are you the father of the girl at the Clothing Store?"

He turned around. Drool was hanging out of his mouth and his eyes looked distant.

"I own the Clothes Shop… but I ain't your father," he slurred.

Aeris sighed. "I didn't say that…"

"Make me some clothes," Cloud said, a little impatiently. He didn't have time for this! He needed to save Tifa!

"I don't make men's clothes," the girl's father said miserably. "And I don't feel like makin' anything right now."

Aeris turned to Cloud.

"Cloud, you wait over there for a second. I'll try and talk to him. Why don't you go over there and have something to drink."

Cloud didn't want a drink. Instead, he turned away and pretended not to listen.

"You know, Mister," she began. "He always said that just once, he'd like to dress up like a girl. So that's why I wanted a cute dress for him…"

He turned around to take another look at Cloud. His brow furrowed and then he raised an eyebrow.

"What!?" he snorted. "A tough lookin' guy like that?"

Cloud closed his eyes and breathed deeply. For Tifa; he was doing this for Tifa. He had to focus on the bigger picture.

"So, how 'bout it? Will you make him one?"

The man smiled. "…Might be interesting. "I was gettin' a little bored just makin' regular clothes."

"Then you'll do it for us?" Aeris asked.

"Yeah, all right. What kind of dress you want?"

"Something that feels soft, and something that shimmers."

"Hmm, got it. Y'know I got a friend that has the same taste as him. I'll go talk to him."

The dressmaker told Cloud that his dress would be completed in about an hour, but that hour seemed to last a lifetime. While he waited, Cloud wondered about Tifa's fate and why she would like to have a chance of being Don Corneo's wife. It was so out of character for her. He wondered if she was up to something. Knowing Tifa, she probably was. It put his mind at rest a little bit. Besides, she knew how to handle herself.

Cloud and Aeris entered the shop again when the hour was up.

"Oh, you're here," said the dressmaker. "It's ready. Go try it on."

The man handed cloud a very awkward looking silk dress adorned with little bits of lace and some embroidered flowers. What the heck was he doing? He shook his head and watched Aeris as she bounded up to the fitting room at the back of the shop. She motioned for him to follow her and he did so, albeit reluctantly.

He closed the door and took the dress off its hanger. He flung off his boots and clothes and tried to put the dress on over his head, but a part of it got caught on his left shoulder and wouldn't budge. Sweat was dripping from his brow and his arm was bent in an awkward way. He wriggled his way out of the dress and tried to lift it up over his legs instead. That didn't seem to work either.

"How… do you put this on?" Cloud asked sheepishly.

He expected Aeris to talk to him through the door. Instead, she opened it slightly and peered in. For a girl to see him in nothing but his boxers and a silk dress tangled around his shoulders was quite possibly his worst nightmare.

"Whoa!" he screamed. "What are you doing!"

He managed to quickly pull the dress down, finally getting his whole body in it and not just his shoulders. He felt like a fish. How did girls walk in these things? In fact, how did they do _anything_ in them?

"It's still not right," Aeris said, eying him. "A wig! That's what you need!"

_A WIG?!_

"Umm, I thought you might," the dressmaker piped up, "so I talked to my friend about getting one." He looked over at the dressing room and raised his voice so that Cloud could hear him. "You know the gym? You'll find a lot of people there like you. Go and talk to them."

"… 'Like you'?" He turned to Aeris. "Aeris, what did you tell him?"

"Does it matter?" she asked, waving her arms in the air. "Anyhow, we got a pretty dress!"

Reluctantly, Cloud made his way to the gym to meet the people that were, apparently, 'just like him'. The stench of sweat and testosterone hit him as he entered. Buff guys covered in oil stood around flexing their muscles and generally showing off. Aeris, he noticed, didn't quite know which guy to stand and stare at. Personally, he couldn't understand what she was finding so fascinating to look at.

A boxing ring, complete with sweaty boxers, was on the far right of the gym. A smallish man in a cyan top was watching them and egging them on. He turned to the newcomers and looked Cloud up and down with intrigued eyes.

"You the one… who wants to be cute?" he asked him with a wink.

"Cute?"

"Right," Aeris replied, nodding. "And about the wig…"

"Yeah, I heard," the man said. "But it'll cost ya."

A massive black man about six feet tall and as wide as a house charged over to them emitting something that could only be described as a war cry.

"Big Bro!" he bellowed. "The only way you're gonna get cuter is if you can beat Big Bro!"

"That's right!" the two boxers suddenly interjected. They jumped out of the ring like they were on fire. "So, you've got to compete with us!"

"You're right," the smallish man said. "Let's do squats."

"All right! We'll beat you out of this gym!" the boxers yelled.

Cloud turned to the man.

"Are you…?" he began.

"THE beautiful Bro?" Aeris finished.

"What?" Big Bro scoffed, acting offended. "You didn't know? Always running around here sayin' Big Bro' this, Big Bro' that…" He gestured to the black man. "Never mind that, come over here."

Big Bro explained to Cloud how to squat. It seemed easy enough.

"Whoever has the most squats after 30 seconds gets the wig," he said.

Cloud's opponent put his fists up in a fierce fighting stance and gritted his teeth. He really wanted this wig. Why Cloud wondered?

"I'm not going to lose," the man said. "Big Bro's wig is MINE!"

"Just be quiet…" Big Bro sighed. He turned to Cloud. "It's not fair for you to start right away, so, you want some practice?

"Don't need practice," Cloud replied coolly.

"Now, let's begin the real thing." Big Bro yelled. "Start!"

It was easy at first, but on the fifth or so squat he suddenly found himself losing momentum. He needed this wig if he was going to be in with a chance of saving Tifa, so he had to push himself harder. He could feel his muscles tense up as he progressed, and a hot sweat had begun to trickle down his back. To his relief, his opponent was beginning to slow down. His eyes looked pained. Was that because he was hurting or because he thought he was going to lose out on Big Bro's wig? He began to wonder if this wig had special powers or was worth about ten million gil.

_Focus!_ Cloud thought to himself.

He quickened his pace, his breath coming out in tiny gasps and his muscles screaming out in agony. He could do this!

Big Bro came over and announced the results when it was finally over.

"He had 15 squats," pointing towards Cloud's opponent, "and you had 16 squats. You're really something. Okay, I'm a man of my word, here you are."

Big Bro handed Cloud a silky blonde wig that looked almost like real hair. It glistened in the yellowy light of the gym and was lightweight as well. He twisted and turned it in his fingers. He had never given wigs much thought before, but this was exceptionally well made. If it gave him a chance of getting into the mansion, then he was going to wear it, no doubt about it.

"I'm so mad, I'm so so so-mad!" Cloud's opponent suddenly screeched. Tears were running down the man's face and he was sobbing with each breath.

_He must have really wanted that wig_ Cloud thought.

Without warning, Big Bro lunged forwards and gave the black man an uppercut to the face. He flew through the air, hitting the floor with an almighty crack that sent shockwaves through Cloud's bones.

"Shut up!" he bellowed. "Don't cry, just because you lost!"

The man whined. "Bro's fists of steel cut to the bone!"

The crowd rushed to the downed man's side and Cloud and Aeris decided that now was an ample time to leave. Tifa was putting her dignity and her life on the line by getting involved with this Don character, and time was running out. Besides, Big Bro was a bit of a funny character. Calm and collected the one minute, punching someone so hard they're flying across the room the next.

Aeris said that she was a little thirsty so Cloud took her to the bar to grab a drink. He was all right, but it would be wrong of him to drag Aeris along without any food or drink in her system. He could cope just fine. As they entered, Cloud's gaze caught a man leaning against the wall next to the washroom with a pained expression on his face. He looked over to Cloud.

"Hey, could you do somethin' for me? Someone's been in there all day and they're not comin' out. I can't hold it anymore!"

Cloud knocked on the washroom door but it opened instead, startling both him and the occupant.

"HEY… someone's IN here… don't look!"

This was ridiculous, Cloud thought. Aeris got herself a drink while Cloud wondered about what to do. To be honest, he was never into helping people with their mundane issues. He had more pressing matters to contend with.

His stomach began to rumble. Perhaps he could do with a bite to eat after all. They walked through Wall Market, eventually stumbling across a small diner that had been set up in a tent. Anyone would be dubious about eating in a diner that was, essentially, a tent, but the smells wafting from it were delicious so Cloud and Aeris stepped inside.

"Welcome!" a cheery man said to them. "Sit wherever you like!"

So they sat. A long dining table spanned the length of the diner. Men were scoffing down their dinner like they hadn't been fed for a month, so the food must have been good. He could at least give it a go.

"Yes, what will you have?"

"Korean B.B.Q Plate, please," Cloud replied.

Aeris wasn't hungry, she decided, so she didn't have anything.

"One Korean B.B.Q Plate," the waiter confirmed.

"Comin' up!" said the chef.

"In this store, you pay first. It'll be 70 gil."

Cloud handed the waiter the gil. His dish came out remarkably fast, but the food itself tasted a little bit like cardboard. Still, at least it filled him up.

"How was the food?" asked the waiter as he took away the empty plate.

"It was alright," Cloud replied.

"Thank you. Here's an item coupon for the Pharmacy." He handed it to Cloud. "You can exchange it for one item there."

Oh dear. That didn't sound too good. Perhaps this diner was the reason why the toilets back in the bar had been in use for a whole day. His stomach turned. Perhaps eating here wasn't such a good idea after all.

They decided to go to the Pharmacy. Aeris suggested that they use the coupon for some kind of stomach medicine for the girl in the toilet. Cloud guessed it couldn't hurt to try. Besides, he had no need for any medicine and neither did Aeris. Not yet anyway.

"Whoa!" exclaimed the guy behind the counter. "Why don't you say something if you're standing there?" The clerk glanced down at the coupon in Cloud's hand. "Oh, you have a coupon. Then please select any one medicine you like."

Cloud eyed the selection of medicines and saw a small plastic bottle labelled 'Digestive'.

"I'll take the Digestive," Cloud said as he handed over the coupon. The clerk accepted the coupon, placed it into the till and handed him the bottle.

Back in the bar, Cloud quietly opened the door to the washroom and handed the sick woman the bottle of Digestive.

"Huh? You'll really give me some?" the woman asked between heaves. Her face was green. It definitely looked like she needed it! "Thanks."

She took the bottle off him and he closed the door behind her. A few minutes later the woman came out.

"Phew, I feel better now," she told him. "This is for your kindness."

To both his and Aeris' astonishment, the woman handed Cloud a small bottle of woman's perfume called 'Sexy Cologne'. It was an apt prize to receive, and would definitely make him _smell_ like a woman. He just hoped that the dress and the wig would hide his masculinity. He couldn't stand by and do nothing while Tifa was in there being drooled on by that letch.

They both agreed that with the dress, the wig and now the perfume, Cloud was well on his way to looking believable as a woman. Firstly though, he decided to stop off at a shop to get some supplies before storming the mansion.

"Hey man," the clerk whispered. "Got a minute?" He quietened his voice even more. "I need to talk… man to man."

"What is it?" Cloud asked. Now wasn't really the time but he guessed it wouldn't hurt to offer.

The man's face lit up. "Really! I really appreciate it!" He looked over at Aeris. "I'm sorry but, young lady? Would you turn the other way, for a second?"

"Why?" Aeris asked, bemused.

"…Aeris," Cloud sighed. Why did girls have to be so difficult all the time?

"Gosh!" she gasped, turning around.

"I'm sorry, lady," the clerk said to Aeris. He turned his gaze back to Cloud. "Now here's the thing. Do you know that vending machine in the Inn? I'm itchin' to know what they're selling in it. I just can't ask a girl to go get it."

"Why don't you buy it yourself?"

"What? Why don't I buy it myself? Well to tell you the truth, I got in a fight with the guy at the Inn and can't go there anymore. Come on, so how 'bout it?"

Another errand? Well, he couldn't see why not. It would probably only take a minute at most.

"I'll do it."

"Good, thanks. I'll be waitin' here when you're done."

"Finished?" Aeris grumbled.

At the Inn was the vending machine the clerk had mentioned. Cloud eyed it up. There were three choices. You could put in 50 gil, 100 gil, or 200 gil. Cloud opted for the most expensive one.

With the prize in hand, they walked back to the shop.

"I got it," Cloud told him.

The clerk, who was resting behind the counter, sat up excitedly.

"Oh, really!" He looked sharply over at Aeris. "Hey!"

She rolled her eyes at him and stomped over to the other side of the room, turning her back.

"Geez!"

"And, what was it?" the clerk asked, his eyes eager.

Cloud handed him the prize from the vending machine. The clerk looked at it and crinkled his nose in disgust.

"A protein drink set. That jerk. I'm gonna do so much more business than him, his head'll spin. Thanks, bud. I'm motivated now. Take this, it's not much…"

Cloud couldn't believe it when the clerk reached for a shelf and pulled down a glistening Diamond Tiara. This would complete the outfit perfectly! He couldn't quite believe that he was getting this excited over a piece of woman's jewellery, but his enthusiasm was more for Tifa. He could save her now.

Not wanting to waste any more time, he and Aeris raced to the Honey Bee Inn, hoping to catch Tifa before it was too late.

_To be continued…_


	21. A Tight Spot

Cloud and Aeris made their way to the shady Inn. On their way there they noticed a man mumbling to himself.

"Nope, I just can't make up my mind." Seemingly detecting that someone was behind him, he whizzed around on the spot. "Here, you take this," he said, handing some sort of card to Cloud. "You won't be able to get in without it."

It was a Member's Card for the Inn. This chance encounter was quite astonishing. It had completely slipped Cloud's mind that they might need some kind of card to gain entry.

"Hey!" said the urbane-looking man in the black business suit that stood outside the Inn's entrance. "Is that a Member's Card I see shining in your hot little hand?"

Cloud flashed him the card.

"Please, come in."

There was a crowd forming outside. A swarm of men gathered around Aeris, some ducking low to the ground to try and peek up her dress. Cloud watched her as she nervously tried to dodge them but none of them seemed to be able to take no for an answer.

"Let's go!" exclaimed Cloud, eager to release Aeris from her tormenters.

They stepped through into the Honey Bee Inn and into a circular lobby with doors on each of the walls. A pretty girl sashayed over to them wearing a honeybee costume and a face full of make-up.

"Poo, I uh, mean, Sir… Hurry…"

_Poo?_ Thought Cloud. _Charming._

They needed a room, but they weren't sure which ones were occupied and which ones were empty. Cloud sauntered up to the door on the upper right, and read the plaque at the top which read 'The Lovers Room'. He put his ear against the door first and heard that it was occupied. Then he looked inside via the key-hole.

"…Woo…ow!"

He heard someone gasping for breath and saw an elderly man dressed up in a suit, huffing and wheezing. What the heck was he up to, Cloud wondered? After a bit of adjustment, he managed to see a little bit more of the room, this time focusing on an old woman. They were rather hot and sweaty and that was when Cloud decided he'd seen enough.

This time he checked out 'The Queen's Room' and saw something very weird going on in there. Bright flashes of light lit up the room, almost blinding him. A few men were sat around the room staring at another, rather round man, dressed up in some sort of lavish royal outfit.

"…_The wind's calm now…"_ a familiar-sounding voice said. _"It's the curse of the resurrected Satan… Our beloved Queen does not awaken…"_

The lavishly dressed man that Cloud realised was President Shinra got up and started pacing.

"_The time is ripe…"_

Cloud saw another man, dead ahead of him, dressed in an immaculately tailored suit. He was laughing heartily.

"_A legend has been passed on through generations…"_

He could hear two Shinra soldiers in full garb whispering to each other. It was barely audible.

"Hey, shouldn't we stop him soon? We have a luncheon with President Shinra…"

"You tell him…"

"I can't tell him.."

"Come on! Oh, well…"

"… _the sought after Promised Land…"_ the voice carried on.

"I'm so disgusted with the President," one of the Shinra soldiers whispered. "It's like this every time we have a business trip to Midgar."

"… _One with blue eyes…"_

"We come all the way to Midgar, just for this…"

"… _And a great white sword on his back…"_

"What're you complaining about? You're just holding the lights. I've gotta wear this heavy armour!" one of them huffed.

"… _Will not lead to the Promised Land…"_

"I know, I know… but it's all part of the job."

"Oh yeah, did you hear? The President's wife found out about this little hobby of his."

"Ha, ha… No way, that's the first I've heard of it."

"Oh, looks like he's done. Man, I'm glad!"

"Geez!" one of the Shinra soldiers yelled suddenly. "Mr. President! I mean, Your Majesty… Ohhh, I'm sorry. Please remove the ancient curse!"

Cloud withdrew his face from the keyhole and shook his head. So that's what the President got up to in his spare time…

Cloud decided to check out the door on the north wall this time whilst Aeris waited in the lobby and found that it was unlocked. When he walked in he saw three girls dressed up in honeybee costumes admiring themselves in front of a vanity mirror. One appeared to be quite agitated and kept sighing as she looked at herself.

"Ohhh, I just can't seem to lose weight."

She briskly turned around and gasped.

"Sir! You can't come in here."

She pulled a disgusted face, not taking her eyes off him.

"Yuk… a pervert…" she mumbled to herself.

He left the room sharpish and looked into the room on the lower left side of the lobby instead. This room was called 'The Group Room'. He didn't bother to look inside, but it sounded empty so he decided to go for it, while Aeris chose to occupy the room on the upper left.

"Looks like it's unoccupied," Cloud said.

He called the girl in the honeybee costume over and told her that he'd take the room.

"All right," she said. "Now all we have to do is enter the room. You're not going to have a change of heart, are you?"

"Don't make me repeat myself," Cloud replied coldly.

"Oh, don't be angry with me…" she whimpered, her honeybee costume shaking.

She unlocked the door and motioned for him to enter. He walked inside. The girl followed him and closed the door behind her.

"Shall we begin?" she said, walking over to a hot tub filled with steaming hot water. Oh, he could actually get used to this.

"I guess since you chose this room," the girl began, "that would mean you… hate being lonely?"

"I'm always alone," Cloud replied.

"All right, all right," the girl moaned. "Come on, everyone's waiting."

Everyone? Who was everyone? His question was soon answered when he heard the door squeak open and saw about a dozen men run into the room. They were big and muscled, slicked up with oil and lotions and shiny gelled hair. They were also wearing tight spandex costumes, each one a different colour. Cloud gulped and tried to find a good excuse to take his leave, but his brain went dead.

They gathered around Cloud, looking him up and down.

"Wassup!" one of them excitedly exclaimed.

"Oh man…" Cloud grumbled.

_Looks like I'm always going to be facing crises all my life…_

"Don't be so embarrassed!" the muscled man said. "Loosen up, bubby! Let's wash off all our sweat and dirt together!"

Cloud tried to back away, but he was cornered. They started to advance on him, all of them, all at the same time. How could he get out of this particular crisis? Dammit!

"Bubby! You're the intimate type, huh!"

He guessed he had no choice but to go along with this. He stripped down to his boxer shorts and joined them in the hot tub. He felt like a tinned-sardine. A very embarrassed tinned-sardine. His face was burning up and his heart was hammering. Every time one of the men brushed a hand over him he flinched and tensed his body up. He thought back to his time in SOLDIER and couldn't remember anything as bad as this. This was, quite possibly, the worst crisis he'd ever had to endure.

The man introduced himself as Mukki.

"Isn't bathing great…?" Mukki said to Cloud. "It soothes your heart. How is it, bubby!? Feels good, huh?"

"It hurts," Cloud truthfully replied. "Too stuffy in here…"

"You'll get used to it. Try counting to ten."

"Ten… Nine…"

"Hey bubby, how old are you?"

"Eight… Twenty one…"

"You're less than half my age. I'm so jealous."

Mukka seemed to ponder for a moment or two.

"So how 'bout it…? Do you wanna join my 'Young bubby's' group?"

"Seven… six… maybe in another life."

Mukka sighed. "Well, if that's how you feel… too bad. We have a trip planned at a cabin out in the country."

"Five… four… three… two… one… all right, that's ten. I'm getting' out."

"Why don't you stick around and play a bit?" Mukka let out a sigh. "Daddy's so lonely…"

Cloud didn't care. He got out, quickly dried off and popped his clothes back on. To his alarm, they all decided to get out too, as if they were dead set on following him around like puppies.

"Bubby!" Mukki wailed. "This is important to me. Here's a memento of our time together!"

He handed him a pair of silky bikini briefs. Cloud let out a little nervous laugh as he fiddled with them nervously.

"Hope we meet again!" Mukki cried joyously as if sharing a hot tub with Cloud was the most fulfilling part of his life.

When he was alone in the room, Cloud took a good look at the bikini briefs. They were bright purple and extremely shiny.

"This is SOME underwear… I'm supposed to wear this…?" He scrutinized the briefs a little more. "Well, if it's to save Tifa… I guess there's no way around."

He thought back to the room in the north part of the lobby, the one where the women were applying make-up to themselves in the vanity mirrors. If he was really serious about this then a bit of make-up would certainly make him look like a woman.

"If I were to dress up like a woman… then I've got to really prepare carefully," he said to himself as he stood in the room. "Seems like I could put make-up on here."

He cleared his throat and gulped, then said something to one of the women that he never expected to say in a million years.

"I have a favour to ask of you. Can you put make-up on me too?"

She complied, albeit hesitantly at first, and looking at him like he'd just asked her to chop his head off, and plastered his face with all sorts of powders and creams. His face felt weird and heavy. His lips were tingling. The girl told him that this was because it was a special kind of lipstick that made lips plumper. He just hoped it wasn't a permanent effect!

"…Oh my…" the girl said to him as she gawped at him. Looking at himself in the mirror, he nearly recoiled in shock. His cheeks were rosy and his lips shiny and huge. His eyelids were now purple and his eyelashes were coated in thick black mascara. He should have felt grateful; he did indeed look like a woman.

He met up with Aeris outside, and they made their way to the clothes shop to change. Cloud nervously paced the shop. Was he really going to do this? Yes. For Tifa. His childhood friend.

"Aren't you going to change?" Aeris prompted him.

"Okay… I'm ready."

He entered the dressing room, placing the dress on the hanger on the wall. He pulled the bikini briefs out of his pocket and inspected them. He gulped.

_Just think of it as a mission. Someone has to do the dirty work. And this time, there's a good reward. I get to save Tifa._

Wasting little time, Cloud stripped, pulled off his boxer shorts and slipped the bikini briefs on. They sure were tight! He could barely move! He paced the dressing room and could only walk in little dainty steps.

_Well, at least they make me walk like a woman…_

He pulled on the dress. It was easier this time. He knew how it worked. He sprayed some Sexy Cologne on and instantly regretted doing so in a cramped dressing room. The stuff was so cloyingly sweet it made his head spin, his nose sting and his throat close up. How did girls wear this stuff?!

The wig was itchy, but when he looked in the mirror he found that all essence of his manliness was gone, and that was his goal. The tiara! He'd almost forgotten about that. He whipped it out and placed it on top of his head. A few cute ringlets cascaded over it. He hated to admit it, but he looked incredibly pretty.

He shuffled out of the changing room, feeling like all eyes were on him.

"Hmm, not bad," said the dressmaker. "This may be a new business for me."

"Yeah, you're right," his daughter piped up. "Should we try it?" She turned to Cloud and Aeris. "Thanks for showing us something new. My father's got his motivation back now, so the dress is on the house."

Aeris turned to Cloud.

"Walk more nicely like… this." She swayed her hips and lifted her head high, swinging her arms extravagantly. "Miss Cloud." She tittered excitedly to herself.

"What do you mean 'nicely'?"

She sighed and paced across the room, demonstrating again, the exact art of walking like a girl. He followed suit and felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him when everyone started giggling.

"Oh you're so cute, Miss Cloud."

She turned to the dressmaker's daughter.

"Aaah, I want one. Do you have one that'll look good on me too?"

"How's this?" she replied, pointing to a shimmering navy coloured dress on the rail.

"How about that one?" the dressmaker said, motioning towards a silky black number.

"Father, what are you talking about? This one's much better."

"No, what are you saying? This one."

Aeris ignored both of them. A dress had already caught her eye. She walked over and plucked it from the rail.

"…I want THIS one," she said defiantly. She was clutching a strapless ruby red dress that sparkled in the artificial light.

Both father and daughter looked at each other and wrinkled their noses.

"Huh?" they said in unison.

"I'm going to change," Aeris said as she hopped into the dressing room. "No peeking!"

When she came out, Cloud was speechless. She looked beautiful. While she was in there, she'd taken out the plait in her hair and wore a simple ponytail. Cloud could not believe how much cuter she actually looked.

"So?" she asked, brushing a piece of hair out of her face. "How do I look?"

Cloud just smiled sheepishly, unable to mutter a single word.

"Oh, you're no fun!" Aeris snapped.

They thanked the girl and her father and made their way to Don Corneo's Mansion, where the real mission now awaited them…

_To be continued…_


	22. The Disguise

They bumped into the muscleman again. Tactless and with seemingly little morals, he piped up, "Damn! Your friend's hot, too!"

Hey, at least it was re-assuring. He did intend to look like a girl after all.

"Come in, come in!"

Mr. Muscle turned around and rapped hard on the big wooden doors.

"Two ladies coming through!"

The mansion wasn't as big as Cloud thought. It was more like a large, bland, wooden house that the Don had blinged up with gaudy gold ornaments and lavish colourful carpets made out of the finest cashmere. He had his own receptionist; he was a small, smarmy looking man with a crooked smile and creepy eyes. Cloud could imagine those eyes as the sort that secretly undresses a woman. He felt like throwing up at the thought but then had to suppress a fit of the giggles as he imagined the man doing it to him. If only he knew what was really underneath this dress…

"Hey, ladies," the man greeted them with a nasally, snobby voice. "I'll go and let the Don know you're here. Wait here. Don't go wandering around…" He was also extremely patronising.

She waited until the receptionist was out of earshot and then Aeris said to Cloud, "Now's our chance. Let's find Tifa."

They mooched around for a bit until Cloud found a door on the first-floor landing that was slightly ajar. They crept inside and found themselves peering down a flight of dank concrete steps into a murky cellar. They couldn't see much from up here so Cloud decided to take the plunge and enter the shadowy depths. To their dismay, it wasn't a cellar but a grotesque torture chamber. What the heck did this Don bloke get up to?!

A girl was standing in the corner, obscured by shadows. She was wearing a beautiful royal blue dress. Cloud couldn't make out her features but he guessed it was Tifa. He wondered if she would be able to tell it was him.

"…Tifa?" Aeris called.

The girl in the blue dress ambled over to her.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Aeris. Cloud's told me a lot about you."

"…And you are?" asked Tifa. Her face suddenly changed, as if she was recalling a memory. "Hey you're the one with Cloud in the park…"

Aeris' face began to flush. "Right, with Cloud."

"Oh…" said Tifa.

"Don't worry. We just met. It's nothing."

"What do you mean 'Don't worry'… about what?" She shook her head abruptly. "No, don't misunderstand. Cloud and I grew up together. Nothing more."

Aeris tried to stifle a giggle, but couldn't.

"Poor Cloud, having to stand here and listen to both of us call him nothing," she said. She turned to him. "Right, Cloud?"

Tifa's eyes went wide.

"Cloud?"

Cloud decided it was time for his cue. He rushed towards Tifa and stood right in front of her. She peered at his eyes first, then his nose and down to his chin, and then her jaw seemed to gape open.

"Cloud!?" she gasped. "Why are you dressed like that!? And what are you doing here!? Forget that, what happened to you after the fall!? Are you hurt!?"

Cloud shook his head. Why did girls always ask you questions and not give you time to answer the first one before they fired you with another?

"Hey, give me a chance to answer. I'm dressed like this… because there was no other way to get in here. I'm all right. Aeris helped me out."

He saw a flash of something not very nice in Tifa's eyes. Was it jealousy, perhaps?

"Oh, Aeris did…"

"Tifa, explain. What are you doing in a place like this?" Cloud asked, his tone serious.

"Yeah, ummm…"

Aeris suddenly chimed, "Ahem! I'll just plug my ears," and then walked to the far corner of the room humming to herself.

"…I'm glad you're OK," Tifa cooed.

"Thanks. What happened?"

"When we got back from the Number 5 reactor, there was this weird man. So Barret caught him and squeezed some information out of him."

"That's when the Don's name popped up," Cloud established.

"Right, Don Corneo. Barret told me to leave the letch alone. But something's been bothering me."

"I see. So you wanted to get the story straight from Corneo's mouth," Cloud said.

"So I made it here, but now I'm in a bind." Tifa gulped hard. A pleading look crept into her eyes. "Corneo is looking for a bride. Every day, he gets three girls, chooses one of them, and then… and, well…" she stammered, her voice filled with unease. "Anyway, I have to be the girl, or I'm out for tonight."

Cloud admired her strength. She was scared stiff, but this was a mission, like any other. Someone had to do the dirty work…

"Sorry…" a voice interjected, "but I overheard…"

Aeris walked over to Cloud and Tifa with a smug grin on her face.

"If you know the three girls, there's no problem, right?"

"I guess so," replied Tifa. "But…"

"We have two here, right?" Aeris interrupted, brushing off Tifa's hesitance.

"No, Aeris!" yelled Cloud. "I can't have you get involved."

"Oh? So it's all right for Tifa to be in danger?" she huffed, pouting her lips and crossing her arms across her chest.

"No, I don't want Tifa in…"

Tifa gave him a stern look, prompting him to stop talking. She walked over to Aeris.

"Is it all right?" she asked her.

"I grew up in the slums… I'm used to danger," Aeris replied. "Do you trust me?"

Tifa nodded. "Yes. Thanks, Ms. Aeris."

"Call me Aeris," she told her.

A loud voice boomed down the staircase. It was the creepy receptionist dude. He waved at them in that patronising way that he had mastered so well.

"It's time, ladies. The Don is waiting!"

_To be continued…_


	23. The Chosen One

"I told you not to wander around…," the man muttered irritably. "I tell ya, women nowadays."

Cloud decided the man was a complete jerk. It was unsurprising. He worked in a place that used women for their own sick needs. He couldn't wait to be rid of the place. It gave him the creeps.

He rarely got butterflies… until now. They were intense too. He felt sick and scared; weak at the knees, and not in a good way. Part of it, he expected, was a fear of the unknown. He had never had to do this before.

"Hurry up, will ya!" the man yelled at the foot of the stairs, jolting Cloud from his nervous thoughts.

"I probably don't need to ask but the other girl is… me… right?" Cloud asked gingerly.

"You're right, there was no need…" began Tifa.

"… to ask," Aeris finished.

They giggled between themselves like schoolgirls. Cloud gave an irritated sigh. This might be funny to them, but did they not realise the seriousness of it all?

The Don's room was gaudy, to say the least. The décor was more-or-less the same as the rest of the mansion, but with a bit of added oomph. The Don himself was sat at a red-coloured desk that lay behind a rug with two intertwining serpents embellished on it. He was a man so ugly and with such a bad taste in clothes that Cloud wondered how he could make any woman look twice at him. He wore his bleach-blonde hair in a grotesque Mohawk. His clothes were tacky and bright coloured, even brighter than his surroundings.

"All right, ladies!" one of the Don's henchmen exclaimed. "Line up in front of the Don!"

Tifa and Aeris took their places. Reluctantly, Cloud walked over to his spot in the middle and gulped hard. This was a mission, he reminded himself. Nothing more, nothing less. Besides, what were the odds that the Don would pick him anyway?

Don Corneo jumped off his throne and leaned across his desk as if he was trying to get a closer look. Cloud swore he could see him salivating. He urged himself to look away.

"Hmmm! Good, splendid!" the Don cheered.

The perverted man leaped off the desk and crouched on the floor on all fours like a rabid animal. He stood in front of Aeris, inspecting her from head to toe, a sick smile on his face and his eyes full of lust.

"Now, let's see…" he panted. "Which girl should I choose? Hmm… hmm!"

He strode towards Cloud and bent over to inspect him up close.

"This one?"

He licked his lips lustfully and then made his way to Tifa.

"Or this one?"

He inspected Tifa for some time, humming and hawing, before standing in front of Cloud again. He had a very bad feeling about this. Very, very bad.

"Woo-hoo, I've made up my mind!" the Don declared, his voice as loud as a rocket. He jumped up and down on the spot. "My choice for tonight is… this healthy-looking girl!"

No. NO. NO! This couldn't be happening.

"Wa, wait a sec!" Cloud cried. "I mean, uh, please wait a moment!"

"Woo-hoo!" the Don squealed, sounding like a kid in a sweet shop. "I love chickies who play hard-to-get! Yeowza!"

He turned to his lackeys who were stood either side of his desk like statues.

"You can have the other ones!"

"Yes, sir!" they both said in unison. "Thank you sir!"

He faced Cloud again.

"Well then, shall we go my pretty!?"

In a panic, Cloud looked towards his female comrades for support. They both gave him a nod. Not the most helpful. Perhaps they had some sort of plan. He sure hoped so!

Cloud reluctantly followed Don Corneo to his bedroom. Bright purple lights dazzled him as he entered. They made the red and gold décor shine vibrantly. His bed was a super king-size. The Don jumped onto the mattress and began panting like a dog.

_What a pervert!_ Cloud thought.

"Ahh, we're finally alone…," Don Corneo whispered seductively. "All right, pussycat…" he bellowed suddenly. "Come to daddy!"

Cloud, not quite believing what he was doing, skulked over to the Don. All of his instincts were telling him to keep his distance, but his head was thinking meticulously – the Don might pick up that something was wrong if he stayed in one spot.

"You're so cute, I never get tired of looking at you," the Don cooed. "Do you… like me, too?"

How the heck did he answer this? Did he play along, or did he start the interrogation prematurely, without aid?

"Of course!" Cloud cried, favouring the former, his voice wavering unwillingly. He could feel a lump in his throat. He gulped hard to suppress it.

"You sure do know how to make a guy feel good! Then, wh… what do you want to DO?"

"Whatever YOU want, daddy," Cloud replied.

_Hurry up, you too! I can't do this much longer!_

"Oh man! I can't stand it! All right, then…"

The Don jumped towards Cloud as quick as lightning, his eyes gleaming. He grinned, showing off his pure white, newly bleached teeth. He looked mad. How could any girl be turned on by that? Or maybe this was the kind of thing girls were looking for these days. They were hard to understand after all…

"Give me a kiss!" the Don belted out. "A KISS!"

The Don puckered up his lips so tightly that they seemed to turn white. It was a grotesque sight and made Cloud's stomach do loops.

"…All right," Cloud said, after a pause, disgusted with himself. He wasn't actually intending to do it, but saying no to the man wasn't an option either. He didn't seem like the kind of guy you would want to get on the wrong side of. Hopefully, he'd have some company very soon. He'd just have to find a way of holding off for now.

He leaned in very slowly, not taking his eyes off the grotesque pair of lips that were now making sucking sounds. As he got closer he could smell an unsavoury aroma of mint and stale cigars, as well as feel a warm gust of air as the Don exhaled through his nose. He was going to puke at any moment. He was sure of it. He backed away, but not too much, otherwise, he might arouse the Don's suspicions. He held his breath this time and leaned in again.

_Hurry up you pair! Please! FOR THE LOVE OF GAIA... HURRY UP!_

"Just a minute!" came a girl's voice.

Don Corneo whipped his head around to the source of the noise and then turned his whole, flabby body towards it. Cloud could literally see his stomach fat rippling underneath his gaudy suit. It looked like a huge plate of strawberry jelly. He stepped back a little and took a deep breath.

"Wha… what the hell?" the Don gasped. "Who goes there!?"

"Cloud…" Tifa muttered. "Were you really…"

He shook his head vehemently. What was she thinking? Of course he wouldn't have really kissed the Don! He strode over to the girls and, quick as a flash, ripped off his wig and clothes and rubbed his face clean. Thank goodness he had the common sense to leave his normal clothes on underneath.

"A man!?" yelped Don Corneo, looking rather agape. "What's goin' on?"

They rushed towards the Don.

"Shut up, we're asking the questions now…" Tifa barked. "What did your assistants find out? Talk! If you don't tell us…"

Cloud leaned over the bed towards the Don, his eyes as narrow as slits.

"…I'll chop them off," he hissed, grimacing.

He let out a frightened yelp and jumped backward, landing on his butt, almost falling off the other side of the bed.

"No! Not that!" he gasped. "I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!"

"So… talk," said Tifa impatiently.

"I made 'em find out where the man with the gun-arm was. But that's what I was ordered to do."

"By who?" Tifa enquired.

"No-! If I told you that, I'd be killed!"

"Talk!" Tifa roared. "If you don't tell us…"

Aeris leaned in close. Suddenly, her gentle aqua coloured eyes looked fierce.

"…I'll rip them off," she said through gritted teeth.

Don Corneo let out an agonising wail and inched a little further back.

"It was Heidegger of Shinra!"

The trio shot him annoyed glances.

"Heidegger, the head of Public Safety Maintenance!" he admitted.

"The head of Public Safety Maintenance!?" Cloud exclaimed. He was initially shocked, but this was Shinra, where every one of its workers was corrupt in one way or another. He was no longer surprised.

"Did you say the Shinra!?" Tifa yelled. "What are they up to?! Talk! If you don't tell us…" – She leaned towards the Don as far as she could – "… I'll smash them."

The Don started to squeal like a pig.

"You're serious, aren't you… ohboy, ohbooy, ohboy."

He cleared his throat and a smirk crept onto his face.

"I'm not fooling around here either, you know. Shinra's trying to crush a small rebel group called AVALANCHE, and want to infiltrate their hideout. And they're really going to crush them… literally." His smirk grew wider. "By breaking the support holding up the plate above them."

"Break the support!?" Tifa cried out in shock. She clasped a white-knuckled hand to her mouth.

"You know what's going to happen?" Don Corneo said with a massive grin. "The plate'll go PING and everything's gonna go BAMMM! I heard their hideout's in the Sector 7 Slums…" He gave a relieved sigh, still with an insanely massive grin etched upon his fat face. "I'm just glad it's not here in Sector 6."

Tifa shook her head, as if in disbelief.

"They're going to wipe out the Sector 7 Slums!?" she wailed. "Cloud, will you come with me to Sector 7?"

"Of course, Tifa," he replied, trying to keep his composure.

Inside, he was fuming. He knew Shinra could sink to dark depths, but this? For ONE rebel group? How many lives would be lost; how many families would be ruined? It was true; Shinra didn't care about anything or anybody. As long as they were gaining power and getting richer, they were happy.

They all turned to leave.

"Just a second!" Don Corneo shouted when they were at the foot of the bed.

"Shut up!" Cloud hissed.

"No wait, It'll only take a second. How do you think scum like me feels when they babble on about the truth?"

"They're sure they'll win," Cloud stated, without much thought. What was this, a game?

"Woo-hoo! Right!" he yelled.

Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet opened up, and Cloud was falling.

_To be continued…_


	24. A Corrupt Plan

Heidegger sauntered towards President Shinra feeling extremely smug about himself. He was, quite frankly, the best of the best and he knew it. He was brilliant at his job and a great leader, but nothing was ever good enough for _him_, he thought, shooting an acrid, cleverly discreet glance towards the President. Heidegger should be president, not him.

_President Heidegger. It's got such a great ring to it._

"How are the preparations going?" the President asked, his voice peppered with dissatisfaction already, jolting Heidegger from his thoughts of grandeur.

Heidegger let out a huge, bellowing laugh.

"Smoothly!" he boomed. "Very smoothly! I assigned the Turks to this."

A Turk known as Reeve stood to the side of the President's desk wearing a taut expression. What was his problem, Heidegger wondered?

"President!" Reeve gasped. "Are we really going to do this? Simply destroy a group with only a few members…?"

The President arched an eyebrow and let out a disappointed sigh.

"What's the problem, Reeve? You want out?" President Shinra asked as he gathered up some papers, stood up and slowly walked from behind his enormous desk.

Reeve cleared his throat and shuffled on his feet.

"But, as head of the Urban Development Department, I have been involved in the building and running of Midgar. That's why…"

"Reeve," interrupted Heidegger, "you should flush those personal problems in the morning!"

If there was one thing Heidegger hated more than anything, it was people being too sensitive. Who even cared about the slums and its people? They were nothing but sewer monsters with no prospects, no money and no morals. They ought to be thankful that someone was taking pity on them and ending their worthless lives.

"The Mayor's against this anyway…" Reeve continued.

"Mayor?" Heidegger jeered as he turned his back and began a slow walk back to the front door. "He just sits in this building all day feeding his face! You still call that a Mayor?"

He swiveled on the spot and saluted the President.

"Now if you'll excuse me sir!" he bellowed, laughing as he walked out of the room.

* * *

Reeve was furious! He hated that hairy-faced fat bastard! Always mocking, always yelling, always being rude to everybody; and that bloody horse laugh of his was enough to drive anybody to jump off the top of the plate!

He got the idea in his head that Heidegger fancied being the President himself. It was so obvious. Like _that_ was ever going to happen. That new girl Elena would have more of a chance than him!

Reeve rushed after Heidegger, fists flailing.

"You're tired," the President called after him. "Why don't you take a couple of days off and go somewhere?"

Reeve ignored him. President Shinra did not believe in sympathy and was just afraid that he, Reeve, would quake under the pressure and ruin everything.

He went to walk off, but the President divulged his catastrophic plans to him regardless.

"We'll destroy Sector 7 and report that AVALANCHE did it. Then we'll send in the rescue operation care of Shinra…" He laughed deliciously. "This is perfect."

_To be continued…_


	25. A Race Against Time

Cloud tumbled through the air. Tifa and Aeris were by his side, screaming wildly. He had no idea where they would end up, or even if they would survive the fall. Besides, he'd already had one lucky escape. How many more times would he fall and come out unscathed?

His feet eventually touched solid ground. He skidded through a sheet of inch-thick water, his arms outstretched, and was able to keep himself upright. Looking around, he found the girls lying face down in the water.

"You alright?" Cloud asked, as he quickly helped Tifa to her feet.

"Man!" cried Tifa, flicking bits of sludge off her clothes and sniffing the air disgustedly. "This is terrible."

She must have been okay or she wouldn't be moaning about trivial things like dirty clothes and bad smells.

He walked over to Aeris who was trying, and failing, to gain stability in the rotten water and helped her to her feet.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," Aeris replied, quietly.

She appeared a little dazed, but otherwise alright.

"Well, the worst is over," she said.

She was clearly a very optimistic kind of person because the worst wasn't over, not by a long shot.

They were stood in a dirty sewer tunnel, their ankles submerged in disgusting water. Cloud recoiled when he saw something brown brush past his leg as the currents carried it away. He didn't have to be a genius to figure out what _that_ was... The walls were slimy, piles of rubbish stacked up against them. Alarmingly, there didn't appear to be an easy way out. There was no clear exit to the outside world, at least none that he could see.

Suddenly, there was a loud, monstrous roar.

Maybe not," Aeris added.

The creature looked just as fearsome as its roar sounded. It was electric blue and its huge arms rippled with muscles as they flexed and relaxed. Cloud likened the beast to some sort of mutated wolf, judging by the way it stood on its haunches, and also by its snout, which was distinctly canine. Huge horns protruded from its head, each one tapering to a sharp, deadly point. Cloud could assume that this was not canine, but was, in fact, some kind of hideous hybrid, a mixture of who knows what.

Was it someone's pet he wondered, as he looked at its forearms and saw chains dangling from them? Who in their right mind would want to try and tame something so hideously brutal? Perhaps their intention was not to tame it…

The beast went in for the kill almost instantly, slashing at Tifa with its enormous claws. She hit back with a succession of powerful punches and concluded with her limit break, which was a combination of punches, kicks and graceful yet deadly manoeuvres. She flicked back her hair and stared the beast down, while Aeris unleashed a fire spell at it.

"Take that!" she hissed.

The beast roared and unleashed the power of water, an element it seemed able to command on instinct. A torrent of filthy sewer water came towards them, instantly knocking them off their feet. Cloud took a mouthful of the disgusting liquid and coughed and gagged. He looked behind him to see the girls scrambling to their feet. Whipping his head around, he was able to see, just in time, the brute's ripped arm coming towards him and dodged it accordingly. Then, he went in for the kill and unleashed a sword attack, cutting through the beast from left to right. It gave a final, pitiful roar and dropped to the floor, dead.

They quickly gathered their strength as time was not on their side. Cloud could only hope that the beast was alone down here.

"It's too late…" cried Tifa, gesticulating with her hands. "Marlene… Barret… the people of the Slums."

"Don't give up," Aeris encouraged. "Never give up hope. It's not easy to destroy the pillar, right?"

"Yeah… you're right!" Tifa exclaimed, hope shining in her voice. "We still have time."

They traversed through the sewers down winding paths and through long, narrow tunnels. There were a few creatures here, but nothing like the wolf-rhino hybrid they fought earlier. Cloud was able to cut through them easily.

Eventually, they came to a ladder that led up to the surface. As he climbed out of the manhole and looked around to survey his surroundings he found that he was at the Train Graveyard. He'd been here before, but it was a long time ago. Not much had changed, though. Long abandoned trains lay scattered atop the ground, infested with ghosts and other creatures of the paranormal, as well as those that were corporeal. Nothing but pests.

It was hard to navigate. It was a metropolis of broken metal, rotting carriages, twisting railroad tracks and mounds of debris, piled up dangerously high.

"Aeris," Cloud said, turning towards her. "I got you mixed up in all of this…"

"Don't tell me to go home," said Aeris, putting her hands on her hips.

Tifa interrupted them, putting an end to the impending disagreement.

"Let's see…," she began, taking a swift glance at the location. "If we can just get past the trains that are lit up, we should be able to get out of here."

Following Tifa's advice, the trio was quickly able to navigate through the mass of metal. The tougher part was having to deal with hordes of monsters. They were easy to defeat, but the place was infested with them, and it was time-consuming, and time was not on their side right now.

Rushed and out of breath, Cloud and the girls raced through the train station and towards the pillar. To his relief, the pillar was undamaged, but for how long?

Tifa couldn't contain herself, and who could blame her? This slum was a part of her livelihood.

"We made it!" she yelled. "The pillar's standing!"

"Wait!" Cloud shouted, putting a hand up to quieten her. "You hear something… above us?"

"Gunfire?" Aeris asked, alarmingly.

It most definitely was. There was no mistaking the sound of Barret's Gatling gun. Cloud looked up to see flashes of bright light and a hulking black man shaking furiously as he unleashed each bullet. What the heck was he playing at? Did Cloud go up there and try to stop him, or did he wait down here and do nothing?

Suddenly, someone screamed. Cloud darted his eyes to his left just in time to see a person dressed in red fall through the sky. A second later there was a meaty thud behind him as the person slammed into the ground. It was Wedge!

Everyone came running, including passers-by and those who were watching the peril above. Cloud leant over Wedge.

"Wedge! You all right!?" Cloud asked, unable to contain the panic in his voice.

"… Cloud…" murmured Wedge as he struggled to breathe. "You remembered… my name. Barret's up top… help him… An' Cloud… sorry, I wasn't any help."

Wedge fell into unconsciousness. Cloud stood up and faced the crowd.

"I'm going up!" declared Cloud. "Aeris! You look after Wedge."

She nodded.

"Aeris, do me a favour," said Tifa. "I have a bar called 7th Heaven in this neighbourhood. There's a little girl named Marlene there…"

"Don't worry. I'll put her somewhere safe."

Tifa turned to the crowd that had gathered.

"It's dangerous here!" she yelled. "Everyone get away from the pillar, quickly! Everyone get out of Sector 7!"

The crowd dispersed like flies once Tifa had drummed it into their heads that this was real and not a spectator sport.

Leaving Aeris alone to look after Wedge, Cloud and Tifa entered the base of the pillar and started to ascend it, neither of them knowing what dangers might lie ahead…

_To be continued…_


	26. Final Farewell

They battled through hordes of Shinra-made fighting machines and soldiers who were hell-bent on keeping the scourge of the slums firmly on the ground. But this was Cloud and Tifa, and that was their friend up there, and this was _their _pillar, and_ their_ slum and Shinra wasn't going to win this battle.

They met Biggs halfway up. He was severely wounded. Blood was gushing from a deep gash in his forehead and he was clutching his chest with both hands as if he was about to have a heart attack. Cloud said nothing about what he saw, especially not to Tifa, but Biggs was mortally wounded. He had seen enough death out there on the battlefield. He knew the signs well. You could even say he was accustomed to it. Biggs was gasping for air. He didn't have long left and he knew it, yet he still wore a look of determination on his face.

"Cloud… so you don't care… what happens… to the… planet?"

Of course he cared. Shinra was sucking the energy from within its core and killing the people on the planet's surface as well. He was trying his best. They all were. But sometimes it was easier to not get your hopes up; to live for today and fight for today; worry about what's happening now. That way you might be able to prevent a horrible future.

"You're wounded," said Cloud, evading the question. He handed him an X-Potion, hoping for a miracle and that it could at least give Biggs some time.

"Thanks, Cloud," he said, popping the bottle and gulping down the entire thing. "Don't worry 'bout me… Barret's… fighting up there. Go help him…"

They bid him farewell and continued the climb to the top. Jessie was further up. She was out of breath but her injuries seemed superficial. Her face was dark with blood and grime but her eyes still shone beneath the murk. She smiled.

"…Cloud… I'm glad… I could talk with you… one last time," she whispered.

"Don't say that," Cloud told her, his voice hopeful that this would be the first of many more times, even though deep down he knew as well as she did that this would probably be the last time.

"That's… all right…" she wheezed. "Because… of our actions… many… people died… this probably… is our punishment…"

"That's not true," Cloud responded.

He looked at her one last time, gave her a hopeful smile and ran to catch Tifa up. The gunshots were deafening as they finally reached the top of the pillar.

_To be continued…_


	27. Ticking Time Bomb

A circular platform awaited Cloud and Tifa at the top. The floor consisted of a metal grill and in the middle of the platform was the central structure, its surface covered in computer interfaces and other technological machines flashing and beeping away incessantly.

Barret was shooting madly at a helicopter that was hovering above them, each one returning fire at the other. Upon sensing company, he whizzed around on the spot.

"Tifa! Cloud!" he yelled. "You came! Be careful! They're attacking from the helicopter."

"Better equip ourselves before they attack in full force," Tifa advised.

Cloud made sure that his sword and accessories were equipped with the right materia and readied himself into a battle-worthy fighting stance, his sword poised.

"Here they come!" she warned as she prepared her fists for the impending battle.

The helicopter ceased firing and lowered itself towards the platform. They watched as a scrawny man with wild auburn-coloured hair dressed in an ill-fitting navy business suit jumped from the helicopter door, landing on the platform in front of them.

Cloud recognised him as the man at the church who seemed to be overly interested in Aeris. He always knew something was off about him.

The man ran, quick as a flash, to the computer terminal that had been planted on the central structure.

"You're too late," he yelled. "Once I push this button…"

They had no time to react. The button beeped ominously as he pressed it.

"That's all, folks!" the smarmy suited man stated proudly. "Mission accomplished."

"We have to disarm it!" yelled Tifa. "Cloud! Barret! Please!"

"I can't have you do that," the man replied. "No one gets in the way of Reno and the Turks…"

Cloud might have known he was one of_ them. _They were a subdivision of Shinra and they were known to be brutal. He couldn't stop thinking about what a Turk would want with Aeris. Even though she had proved her worth in the battles back in the slums, he still worried about her and could sense a vulnerability within her.

Suddenly, Reno attacked. His attacks were serpent-like, quick as lightning. He wasn't a powerful fighter by any means but his agility was astounding, leaving them with very little time to counter his assaults.

Tifa was just about to cast a fire spell on him when he refuted her attack with an unusual spell of his own. A bright red ring floated towards her before expanding and morphing into a lucid, gold pyramid, completely encasing her.

"Try and break it if you can," he said.

Tifa tried punching her way out of it but it was no use. The pyramid didn't even quiver. Cloud began slashing at the walls of the strange force field and was relieved when it disappeared. If that was Reno's party trick then he needed to try a bit harder.

As if being able to hear his thoughts, Reno unleashed a powerful attack on Cloud, sending jolts of electricity through his body. His arms and legs shook and his head felt like it was about to explode, but he held his composure. Once his muscles stopped contracting Cloud countered the attack with his limit break, cutting into Reno's flesh like butter and tearing his skin to shreds. Reno let out a howl of pain before jumping back and unleashing a bolt spell on him.

_Can't take… much… more_ thought Cloud as he braced his body for the jolt of lightning that tore through him. He heard a familiar barrage of gunfire and opened his eyes to see Reno being pummelled with bullets. The man backed away, knowing that messing with AVALANCHE was a mistake.

"It's time," he stated before running across the platform, almost knocking Tifa off her feet in the process and jumping over the ledge into the helicopter that was hovering just below them.

Brushing herself off, Tifa ran to the panel of computers and started jamming on the buttons erratically.

"Cloud!" she wailed. "I don't know how to stop this! You try it!"

She stepped aside so that Cloud could inspect it.

"It's not a normal time bomb," he stated, a defeated tone to his voice. He'd dealt with bombs of many a kind in his career in SOLDIER but this one would be almost impossible to disarm.

The helicopter that Reno had jumped into just seconds before hovered upwards so that Cloud, Tifa and Barret were level with its occupants. A man with long black hair and a pristine business suit was standing at the door of the helicopter.

"That's right. You'll have a hard time disarming that one," he declared. "It'll blow the second some stupid jerk touches it."

"Please, stop it!" Tifa pleaded.

The conceited man simply laughed at her as if she was nothing but a bug on the bottom of his shoe.

"Only a Shinra Executive can set up or disarm the Emergency Plate Release System."

"Shut yer hole!" yelled Barret. He pointed his gun arm at the aircraft and began shooting at it. He'd shoot it down if he had to.

"I wouldn't try that…" the man said coolly. "You just might make me injure our special guest."

Cloud gasped. Aeris was kneeling in the doorway, her head turned downwards as if she was unconscious. She suddenly opened her eyes and looked up. Her face still emanated warmth even though she must have been scared out of her mind.

"Aeris!" Tifa cried.

"Oh, you know each other? How nice you could see each other one last time. You should thank me."

"What are you gonna do with Aeris!?" shouted Cloud, feeling some sort of powerful emotion well up inside his chest.

"I haven't decided," he replied. "Our orders were to find and catch the last remaining Ancient. It's taken us a long time but now I can finally report this to the President."

Aeris leaned forward with a smile on her face.

"Tifa, don't worry!" she said exuberantly. "She's all right!"

Her captor, evidently enraged by her positive attitude, slapped her hard across the face.

"Aeris!" Tifa wailed.

"Hurry and get out!" Aeris responded, the man's vicious act doing nothing to dampen the girl's spirits.

He simply laughed as though this was all just a big game. It didn't matter that people would be killed and lives would be ruined.

"Well, it should be starting right about now. Think you can escape in time?"

The helicopter rose into the air just as the plate began to collapse. Cloud's body shook as the platform began to shake under his feet. Loud booms and cracks reverberated through the air as explosions tore through the metal pillars that were holding the plate up.

Barret ran to the edge of the platform and grabbed a wire that was dangling just within reach.

"Yo, we can use this wire to get out!" he exclaimed.

With no time to lose, they latched themselves onto the wire and swung off the top of the platform just as the pillar they were standing on gave way. Explosions ripped through the air and heat pounded at his skin like flaming fists as they wove through the smoke and dust, hanging on to a thin piece of wire that could snap at any moment. They had to make a difficult choice if they wanted to live.

At least they had a choice…

* * *

Marvellous, thought President Shinra as he looked out over Midgar, towards the fireball sweeping through Sector 7. Were all those deaths worth it? Oh yes. Besides, it was because of AVALANCHE that so many lives were needlessly lost. He was merely a victim just like the people of the slums. This was his city and those were his people. He couldn't count on the Mayor to support his people, so he had no choice but to resort to drastic measures and set that up that petulant group. AVALANCHE had a lot to answer for, and now they had finally got their comeuppance.

_To be continued…_


	28. A Broken Man

Cloud awoke at the children's playground. It was, for the most part, unscathed, with large bits of rubble littering its floor and every surface smoke damaged. It was nice that the children at least had something to cherish as they grew up in such an impoverished place, but then he thought of all the children of the Sector 7 slums. Most would be dead and some would be wandering around looking for their parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles and cousins. Dammit. Shinra would have to pay for this!

He looked around and brushed himself off. Tifa and Barret were lying semi-unconscious on the floor. Both seemed shaken but unscathed. They wearily got to their feet and looked around at their glum surroundings. Cloud noticed that Barret's eyes were full of tears. The beast of a man was someone who kept his sadness deep inside, but not this time.

"Marlene! MARLENE!" he cried, rushing to the piles of twisted metal behind the gate to Sector 7.

Marlene… she was only four. Even in her glum surroundings, the girl was full of vivacity. Had she survived? Cloud thought back to what Aeris said in the helicopter. She said she was safe. Did she mean Marlene?

"MAR-LE-NE!" Barret wailed. "Biggs! Wedge! Jessie!"

He ran back and forth, stopping in the centre of the pile of rubble and hitting his fists against it. His Gatling gun clanked off the surface, the sound of it ricocheting through the polluted air.

"Goddamn it!" he roared, his whole body shaking. "Dammit! DAMMIT ALL TO HELL!" He lowered his voice but it was still wrought with grief. "What the hell's it all for!?" He screamed into the rubble pile and wept.

"Hey, Barret!" Cloud called.

"Barret!" Tifa repeated.

Barret cried out again, his shoulders bobbing up and down as he sobbed. Cloud had never seen him like this before.

"Hey!" Cloud said as he and Tifa ran up to Barret.

"Barret, stop…" Tifa said, an air of gentleness in her voice. "Please stop, Barret."

Her words meant nothing to Barret. How could they? He'd lost his friends and he thought he'd lost his daughter too. He screamed out again before peppering the rubble pile with bullets.

"God damn…" he cried, falling to his knees.

There was nothing they could do for him yet. He was in shock and grieving for the loved ones that had been taken. Cloud and Tifa backed away and stood at the playground until he came round. He needed time to focus his thoughts. It was only right that they gave him that time.

He eventually skulked over to them, once standing tall and fierce, ready to take on anything, and now crumpled up into himself, his shoulders hunched as though he didn't want to let the world in.

"Marlene…"

"Barret…?" Tifa asked, getting his attention. "Marlene is… I think Marlene is safe."

He looked up. Cloud caught a flash of hope shining in Barret's eyes.

"Huh?"

"Right before they took Aeris, she said, 'Don't worry, she's all right.' She was probably talking about Marlene."

"R…really!?" Barret replied, optimistically.

"But…" Tifa continued.

"Biggs… Wedge… Jessie…" Barret finished.

"All three of them were in the pillar," Cloud announced.

"Think I don't know that?" Barret chided. "But… we, all of us fought together. I don't wanna think of them as dead!"

"And the other people in Sector 7," Tifa responded miserably.

"This is all screwed up!" Barret roared. "They destroyed an entire village just to get to us! They killed so many people…"

Tifa put her hands on her hips.

"Are you saying it's our fault?" she asked defensively. "Because AVALANCHE was here? Innocent people lost their lives because of us?"

"No, Tifa! That ain't it! Hell no! It ain't us! It's the damn Shinra! It's never been nobody but the Shinra!" Barret protested. "They're evil and destroyin' the planet just to build their power and line their own damn pockets with gold! If we don't get rid of them, they're gonna kill this planet! Our fight ain't never gonna be over until we get rid of them!"

"…I don't know," Tifa mumbled.

"What don't you know!?" Barret grumbled. "You don't believe me?"

"It's not that. I'm not sure about me… my feelings."

"An' what about you?" Barret asked, turning to Cloud.

But Cloud didn't respond. What exactly could he say that hadn't already been said? He turned around and exited the playground.

"Yo!" he could hear Barret yelling before he mentally zoned out. It was a coping mechanism for him. If you couldn't handle the pressure you were out of SOLDIER, no questions asked, so when he felt like things were getting too much he blocked it all out, giving his mind time to heal. Besides, he had his own problems to deal with let alone Barret's.

* * *

"Where's he think he's goin'?" asked Barret arrogantly.

Tifa pondered for a moment or two. He and Aeris had met before, hadn't they? As she recalled, they were sat on the slide and seemed to be engrossed in conversation when she rolled out of the gate on the Chocobo-carriage towards Don Corneo's mansion. Maybe he was going after her alone. She sighed. If Cloud wanted to do something that badly, he'd do it. He was in SOLDIER after all…

"Oh! Aeris!" she said out loud.

"Oh yeah, that girl. What's up with her?"

"I don't really know," Tifa replied, turning to him. "But she's the one I left Marlene with."

"Damn!" Barret cried. "Marlene!"

He ran to the mesh gate at the playground's entrance and then whipped around to face Tifa.

"Tifa. There ain't no turnin' back now."

She watched Barret exit the playground, gave one final look at the destruction all around her, and followed him.

_To be continued…_


	29. Child of Mystery

Cloud walked along the damaged road of Sector 6 on his own. He was a lone wolf and he preferred it that way. He had known Tifa for a very long time. She always wore her heart on her sleeve and sometimes it overwhelmed him.

"Cloud!" yelled Barret.

He whizzed around to see him dashing up the concrete with a fiercely determined look on his face.

"Take me to Marlene!"

"Okay," Cloud responded.

"You're going to help Aeris?" Tifa asked with concerned eyes. She and Aeris had only just met but Cloud could see that bonds had already been formed between the two girls.

"Yeah… but before that, there's something I want to know."

"What's that?" enquired Tifa, cocking her head slightly.

"…It's about the Ancients."

A minuscule figment of something he'd heard a long, long time ago suddenly flashed in his mind.

"_In my veins courses the blood of the Ancients. I am one of the rightful heirs to this planet!"_

"Sephiroth…?"

He fell to his knees and couldn't quite catch his breath. He felt arms tugging at him; Barret and Tifa were trying to help him back to his feet.

"Are you all right?" Tifa asked him.

"Pull it together, man!" boomed Barret, unsympathetic as ever.

He was, however, completely right. This was no time to get weak at the knees over a snippet of conversation he had had with Sephiroth years in the past. His main objectives right now were to take Barret to Marlene and to find Aeris and rescue her.

They stopped at Aeris' house first to tell her mother the bad news. She stood with her back to them, her head turned down ever-so-slightly.

"Cloud… wasn't it?" she called, her voice tiny. There was a faint tremor in her voice as if she was expecting some devastating news.

She finally turned to face them. Her eyes were crystalline as if hiding entire oceans beneath them. When she blinked, a solitary tear rolled down her right cheek.

"It's about Aeris, isn't it?" she asked, swallowing as if to suppress a sob.

"…Sorry," Cloud mumbled, dipping his head. "The Shinra have her."

Elmyra turned again and paced towards the foot of the stairs. Without looking back she said, "I know. They took her from here."

"They were here?" Cloud asked.

She turned and walked back to face them.

"That's what Aeris wanted…" she told him.

"Why is Shinra after Aeris?"

"Aeris is an Ancient. The sole survivor," she whispered, her voice quivering.

"…What did you say?" Barret chimed in. "But, aren't you her mother?"

She gave a sad sigh.

"…Not her real mother. Oh… it must have been 15 years ago… during the war. My husband was sent to the front. Some far away place called Wutai. One day, I went to the station because I got a letter saying he was coming home on leave."

She paused for what felt like a lifetime. Cloud and Tifa gave each other a look; a look full of the deepest compassion. The brave woman's story was breaking her heart, but she wanted to tell it. Even Barret understood. They remained in the poignant silence for some time until Elmyra found the strength to continue.

"My husband never came back. I wondered if something had happened to him. No, I'm sure his leave was just cancelled. I went to the station every day. Then, one day…"

* * *

_The station was quiet, except for the haunting sounds of a child crying. Elmyra saw a girl straight ahead, her hair golden brown and full of waves, sitting beside a motionless woman who looked just like her. A mother and daughter; she was sure of it. She ran up to them, her breaths coming out quick and sharp. The little girl looked up at her. Even though she was silent, her eyes told her Elmyra everything. She wanted this to go away. She wanted her mother to be all right. But it was never going to happen. She was gravely injured and there was no hope…_

* * *

"You used to see this sort of thing a lot during the war. Her last words were, 'Please take Aeris somewhere safe.' My husband never came back. I had no child. I was probably lonely. So I decided to take her home with me. Aeris and I became close very quickly. That child loved to talk. She used to talk to me about everything. She told me she escaped from some kind of research laboratory somewhere. And that her mother had already returned to the planet, so she wasn't lonely… and many other things."

"Returned to the planet?" asked Barret.

"I didn't know what she meant. I asked if she meant a star in the sky, but she said it was this planet… She was a mysterious child in many ways."

* * *

_"Mom," drifted her daughter's voice from the top of the stairs. She plodded down the steps into the lounge and peered straight into Elmyra's eyes. _

"_Please don't cry."_

* * *

"Aeris just blurted that out all of a sudden," Elmyra said. "When I asked her if something happened…"

* * *

_Her eyes told Elmyra that something terrible had happened. Aeris was never one to hide her emotions. They shone out of her. She wore her heart on her sleeve. _

"_Someone dear to you has just died," she said, her eyes heavy and shimmering with liquid, but her voice unwavering. "His spirit was coming to see you, but he already returned to the planet.' _

* * *

"At that time, I didn't believe her." She paused for a second to compose herself. "But… several days later we received a notice saying my husband died… and that's how it was. A lot had happened, but we were happy. Until one day…"

* * *

"_We want you to return Aeris to us. We've been searching for her for a long time," the slick-looking man with long black hair and ironed suit demanded._

"_No! Never!" Aeris screamed, hiding behind her mum._

"_Aeris," the man said. "You're a very special child. You are of special blood." His tone was patronizing, and not the least bit friendly, even though the man was trying to gain her daughter's trust. "Your real mother was an 'Ancient'."_

* * *

"Of course I heard it. That she was an Ancient." Elmyra was wringing her hands together nervously. It must have been awful to relive the past knowing that her daughter was with the Shinra right now.

* * *

"_The Ancients will lead us to a land of supreme happiness. Aeris will be able to bring happiness to all those in the slums. That is why Shinra would like Aeris' cooperation."_

_Aeris ran forwards, shaking her head defiantly._

"_He's wrong!" she declared. "I'm not an Ancient! I'm not!"_

"_But Aeris," the man said, trying to act thoughtful and friendly, but coming off instead as patronizing and false, "surely you hear voices sometimes when you're all alone?"_

"_No, I don't!" Aeris announced, not taking her eyes of the man. Then she darted out of the house, her gloriously long hair bobbing up and down with each step._

* * *

"But I knew. I knew about her mysterious powers… She tried so hard to hide it, so I acted as though I never noticed."

"It's amazing how she's avoided the Shinra for all these years…" Cloud said, quite unable to take in Aeris' startling, haunting past.

"The Shinra needed her," she replied, "so I guess they wouldn't harm her."

"But why now…?" Tifa asked.

"She brought a little girl here with her…" said Aeris' mother. "On the way here, Tseng found them. She probably couldn't get away fast enough. She decided to go with the Shinra in exchange for the little girl's safety."

"Must be Marlene," Cloud said.

"Marlene!" Barret gasped. "Aeris was caught because of Marlene!?"

He ambled towards Elmyra and dipped his head as he spoke to her.

"I'm sorry. Marlene's my daughter. I'm… really… sorry…"

Elmyra's face suddenly changed from sorrowful to angry disbelief.

"You're her father!?" she cried. "How in the world could you ever leave a child alone like that!?"

Barret inched backwards slightly. His head dropped even further.

"…Please don't start with that," he mumbled. "I think about it all the time. What would happen to Marlene, if I…"

He trailed off and stood looking at the ground for an uncomfortable few seconds.

"But you gotta understand something," he continued, his voice getting back some of its fighting spirit. "I ain't got an answer. I wanna be with Marlene… but I gotta fight."

He gesticulated with his arms.

"Cause if I don't… the planet's gonna die."

He raised his gun arm into the air, a signal of determination.

"So I'm gonna keep fighting! But, I'm worried 'bout Marlene. I really just wanna be with her… always."

He let out an annoyed sigh.

"See? I'm goin' in circles, now."

Cloud often believed Barret thought with his feet, his fist and his gun-arm and had little respect for the man. But now he was finally starting to see the deeper side to him. He was a man who was devoted to the planet and those around him. And he would let nothing get in his way.

"…I think I understand what you're saying…," Elmyra said to Barret. "She's upstairs asleep. Why don't you go and see her?"

He didn't need to be asked twice. He rushed upstairs quicker than lightning, which was a feat, considering the man was all muscle. Cloud could hear his heavy footfalls as he bounded across the first-floor landing.

Cloud turned to Tifa and could tell that something was on her mind. Just as he began to turn the other way, she blurted out her feelings.

"It's my fault…" she grumbled. "I was the one who got Aeris involved in this."

"Don't say that," Elmyra comforted. "Aeris doesn't think that."

Cloud left the lounge and went upstairs. He could hear soft voices and the laughter of a little girl. As he peered into the door in front of him he could see Barret holding his daughter tight.

"I'm so glad… I'm so glad you're all right…," Barret sniffled.

"Daddy, don't cry," Marlene told him. "Your whiskers hurt!"

He turned to leave. Barret needed some time with his daughter, alone. This might be the last time they ever see each other. Or, maybe not. Who knew? Barret understood the dangers of the job. That was evident with the loss of his three friends, Biggs, Wedge and Jessie. He would have lost Marlene too if it wasn't for Aeris.

_Aeris_, he thought.

They needed to help her...

"Cloud!"

Barret's voice boomed through the upper levels of the house.

"You gonna go help Aeris, right?" he asked as if reading Cloud's thoughts. "She's done so much for me…"

His face was one huge grimace. He clenched his teeth together.

"If it's the Shinra you're dealin' with, I can't just sit here! I'm comin' too!"

Marlene ran up to Cloud with a huge grin on her face, peering at him with sparkly brown eyes. If she had picked up on any of the tension around here then she was choosing to ignore it, and she did it well. She was actually glowing with excitement.

"Guess what? Guess what?" she chimed. "Aeris was asking me lots of questions. Like what kind of person Cloud is. I bet she likes you, Cloud!"

"Let's hope so," Cloud replied, not really believing it. It's not that he was self-conscious about himself; it was more that he didn't have the time for this kind of stuff. But Marlene was only a little girl. He knew he could be a cold-hearted bastard most of the time, but he did have a little compassion in his heart… somewhere. He decided he'd humour her, that's all.

"I won't tell Tifa," she whispered, her tone deadly serious.

He went to his room and fell to sleep almost instantly.

_To be continued…_


	30. Wire of Hope

Tifa was already up and waiting for him downstairs.

"You're going after Aeris, right?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"I'm coming with you," she replied, adamantly.

"We're going right into Shinra Headquarters. You gotta be prepared for the worst," he warned.

"I know," Tifa replied. "Right now, I feel I have to push myself to the limit. If I stay here… I'll go crazy."

Barret bombed down the stairs and into the lounge. Everyone turned their attention to him. The guy didn't do quiet.

"Sorry, but can you take care of Marlene a bit longer?" he asked Elmyra.

"Yes, I don't mind," she replied.

"This place is dangerous now. You better go somewhere else," Barret urged.

"…You're right," replied Elmyra. "But promise me that you'll come back to her. Don't get yourself killed."

"Promise."

They left the house and stood outside in the tranquil glow of Elmyra's garden while they mulled over plans for Aeris' rescue mission.

"How do we get to the Shinra building?" asked Tifa.

"There ain't no train that goes up there anymore…" Barret informed them, glumly.

"Well, let's just go to Wall Market," Tifa suggested after a pause. "We might be able to find something there."

Everyone agreed that this was probably the best option.

The Wall Market was bustling as usual. A cacophony of music of varying genres blasted through the outdoor speakers of the shops and market stalls that peppered the streets. People talked and yelled and argued with each other. Shopkeepers bartered, desperate to sell their overpriced wares. Groups of suspicious-looking men huddled in corners, most likely talking about shady business deals. One thing was for sure; they wouldn't be stepping into that gaudy mansion of Don Corneo's any time soon, or the Honeybee Inn for that matter! Cloud's cross-dressing days were long gone now; a thing of the past.

They eventually made it through the first section of the Wall Market and entered a shop that sold all sorts of oddities. Cloud would have rather swerved it, but Barret insisted they have a look.

"How are we gonna get up to the plate then?" wondered Cloud.

Suddenly the shopkeeper's eyes lit up.

"You goin' up to the plate? You better have a battery."

Cloud crossed his arms and rolled his eyes at the guy. The nerve of him.

"You gonna sell me something you just found?" he asked, agitatedly.

"Hey, you knew?" the shopkeeper asked sheepishly. "But I repaired it, so it's all right."

"Why do I need a battery to climb up to the plate?"

"You'll find out when you get there," the shopkeeper replied with a smirk. "How 'bout 100 Gil for each?"

This man was full of it, Cloud thought. He wanted to tell him where he could stick his batteries but this was the slums, after all. Who could blame anyone for wanting to make a bit of extra cash?

"All right, I'll take them."

With the batteries in hand, they trawled the Wall Market scouting for information from its inhabitants. A young girl with brown hair tied back in a green ribbon suddenly beckoned them over. She was with two of her friends.

_Wonder what they want?_ thought Cloud.

"Wanna see somethin' awesome?" the girl asked. "Follow me!"

They followed the girl through a small gap on the right-hand side of the Wall Market. When they entered the other side they were greeted with a huge concrete wall vandalised with red graffiti that ironically spelt AVALANCHE; misspelt of course. There was a thick wire trailing up the middle section of the wall.

"Everyone climbed up this wire," she stated. "Looks scary." The girl shivered. Her friends had already climbed it, but she seemed hesitant.

"Can we climb it?" Tifa asked.

"Yeah," the girl replied. "It leads to the Upper World."

"Awright!" Barret chimed. "We'll climb this wire!"

"There's no way we can do this," Cloud interjected. "You know how far it goes up?"

"There IS a way!" Barret indicated, pointing towards the wire. "Look! What's that look like?"

"Just a normal wire," Cloud mumbled.

"Oh yeah? Well to me it looks like a golden shiny wire of hope."

"You're right," replied Cloud. "This is the only way to save Aeris…" He turned to face Barret and continued. "Okay, that was a bad analogy, but, Barret, I understand how you feel. Let's go!"

They looked up. The wire seemed to go on for miles and miles. Cloud put his hands on the wire and was relieved to feel how sturdy it was. He shook it and it barely budged. He went first, followed by Tifa and finally Barret. It shook a bit more with the added weight of three extra bodies but they had come this far; they couldn't back down now.

The girl's friends had already reached the top of the wall and were peering over the top, trying to take in the view of the destroyed Sector 7 spread out beneath them.

"Oh man!" one boy gasped. "This is horrible…"

"Hey, scary, huh? Dad told me it's the Shinra's doing."

They continued and came to a mass of metal pipes and twisted railroad tracks, bent out of shape and mangled by the explosion that tore through the slums below. A propeller blocked the path that would take them higher. They had nowhere to turn. That's when Cloud saw the slot set into one of the pipes. He jumped down and inspected it.

"Maybe if I put a battery in, the propeller might work," he told the group.

He bent down and retrieved the battery from his pocket.

"I guess I'll just have to believe the shopkeeper."

He fit the battery into the slot and the propeller whirred into life. It rotated for a mere couple of seconds before sputtering and coming to a stop. It was enough, though. The blades had formed a platform so that they could cross. They climbed higher and came to another dead end. The railroad track here had been torn in half and was jutting into the air, creating a large gap that was too wide for anyone to traverse. The thick metal pipe was directly above them. That's where they needed to get. Typical.

There was another slot here too. To the side of him was a black and yellow barrier that could move up and down when it was powered.

"Need a battery here, too."

He fit the battery into the slot. The barrier shifted up, allowing the trio to climb up to the pipe above. There was another wire here. Cloud clung onto it and hoisted himself up, Tifa and Barret following suit. They reached a piece of solid metal and took a small breather.

A thin bar was swinging back and forth. Cloud looked beyond it and realised they would have to grab onto it to progress.

"Looks like the only way is to jump onto that bar," Cloud said. "We should make it if we jump before it gets too close."

Readying himself, Cloud made a running jump and clung onto the bar as it swung to the right, dropping onto the pipe at the other side. Tifa went next and with her agile frame, she made the jump easily. Barret was hesitant but after a bit of persuasion from his comrades, he finally made the jump. It was a rough transition over to the other side. There was a lot of swearing involved and there was a point where it looked like he'd lose his grip and end up face-planting the pipe just below, but he made it.

There was another wire here. Scrambling upwards, they finally reached the top. The skies were dark and cloudy but the fresh air was invigorating and cool on Cloud's face. It was unbearable to think of all those people living down there. Most would be born, live their lives and die down in the slums and never even see the sky or know what fresh air feels like. This whole city was corrupt and Shinra was to blame.

The Shinra Headquarters was a massive silver metropolis constructed out of sleek polished metal. Its style was futuristic and looked more like a spaceship rather than a building. A mass of windows lit up the interface and almost every light was on. Two huge bright beams of light lit up the sky in front of the building, dancing rhythmically through the air. If anything was sapping up the planet's energy it was this place.

A helicopter hovered noisily over the building. They ducked low just in case it spotted them but it passed swiftly overhead and was gone. Cloud wondered if it was the same one that Aeris was captured in. He thought about her, up there, and what she might be going through. Were they treating her kindly? He doubted it. Shinra didn't know how to be kind.

The trio looked at each other and nodded. It was now or never. They ran towards the Shinra building.

_To be continued…_


	31. The Neverending Stairway

"Hey, you oughta know this building well," Barret said to Cloud as they stood directly outside the towering building. He must have been referring back to his days as a SOLDIER recruit.

"…Not really," Cloud retorted. "Now that I think about it, this's the first time I've ever been to the Headquarters."

"I heard about this place before," said Barret as he looked up. "Every floor above the 60th is special and not easy to get to, even for employees. Must be where they took Aeris."

Barret glanced around inspecting every corner of the seemingly unoccupied entranceway.

"The security's pretty light now. Awright, let's go!"

"Wait a second!" Tifa yelled, "You're not thinking of just going right through the main entrance, are you?"

"Well what else does it look like!?" he quipped back. "I'm gonna kick some Shinra butt and…"

Tifa swiftly interrupted him.

"That's not going to work! We've got to find another way…"

"Ain't gonna be no other way! If we keep wastin' time like this, Aeris'll…"

"I know that! But if we get caught here…" – She trailed off and turned to Cloud. "Hey, Cloud. …What should we do?"

"Let's sneak in quietly," he replied.

Going in all guns blazing might have worked for Barret, but he was still naïve to think that Shinra could be infiltrated so easily. They were sly and sometimes you had to sink to their level if you wanted to be in with a chance of toppling the leaders at the top. Shinra fought dirty. It was time they had a taste of their own medicine.

"See?" Tifa agreed. "Let's be careful and find a different route!"

Cloud spotted a small alley to their left. It may have been a dead-end but it was worth checking out. Entering a dimly lit metal passageway, they followed it through. Cloud half expected Shinra soldiers to jump out at them but instead, he came face to face with a ginormous winding staircase that seemed to go on forever.

"Yo… you really gonna take these stairs all the way up?" Barret asked as they ascended the first flight.

"Well we've got to get to Aeris to help her somehow," Tifa replied.

"Talk about out of the way…" he huffed.

"I don't have time to argue with you!" snapped Tifa. "I'm going!"

She darted up the stairs quicker than a racing Chocobo, leaving Barret gasping for air in her wake.

"Y-Yo, Tifa!" he wheezed. "Don't go off alone!"

He limbered up, cracking his back in the process, and followed her, Cloud trailing behind.

They had ascended a dozen or so flights of steps and Cloud still couldn't see the top. How long did this thing go on for!?

"Don't know…why…the hell…we gotta…climb…" Barret puffed.

"Because we don't want to start a commotion until we've saved Aeris," Cloud replied level-headedly. "I doubt that's possible though."

Barret chuckled as if he _wanted_ it all to kick off. The man had a lot of pent up aggression in that muscular body of his. All he really wanted to do was smash some big wig's face in. Cloud also wanted to. Heck, they all did. Sector 7 was where Tifa made a living, where Barret and Marlene lived, where AVALANCHE formed… where Biggs, Wedge and Jessie had died… Life was so unfair, but they had to keep quiet, at least until they had saved Aeris.

"Knock it off. You're giving me the creeps," Cloud scolded.

They moved up the steps in silence until Barret broke the tension.

"So even you will fight for someone else," he said. "I had you figured wrong I guess."

"Who cares what you figured!" Cloud snapped back.

"I'm just sayin' mebbe I was wrong…" Barret sheepishly replied.

Tifa stopped up ahead, put her hands on her hips and started to giggle as if she'd just remembered a funny joke. Cloud wasn't amused. What exactly was she laughing at anyway? Was it something he said?

"What's that supposed to mean, Tifa?" he asked her.

She didn't answer. That was typical of her. Why did she say and do things and then go silent on him? This wasn't a game and now was not the time to start acting silly. They had to save Aeris before the Shinra started experimenting on her. She was just a specimen to them. They didn't care if she felt pain, or if she was cold or hungry, but they did need her to live. Bastards.

They continued up the flight of steps. Cloud was used to fighting battles but this was exhausting. His legs felt as stiff as wood but as light as a feather. It was a strange feeling, probably due to the excessive amounts of steps he'd already climbed. His muscles were growing tired. He wondered if he was dreaming but he knew how real this was. They were really doing this. They were really storming the Shinra Headquarters, and somewhere within him was the tiniest pang of excitement.

He was roused from his thoughts when Barret started to complain again.

"…How much farther do these stairs go on?"

"Why don't you ask them?" Tifa replied.

Cloud shook his head. What was she on?

"It's not one of them endless stairways or somethin' d'ya think?" wondered Barret.

He was joking, right? Even so, there was something dreamlike about this whole scenario – or maybe it was a nightmare. Perhaps it _would_ have been better storming the front entrance after all.

"Of course not!" Tifa yelled with such vigour that it sounded like she was trying really hard to convince herself.

"Right… couldn't be that…" Barret huffed.

They had climbed so many flights of stairs now that Cloud figured they should be in space. Maybe this was some sort of whimsical method of security that Shinra had cooked up to prevent intruders from entering – never-ending stairs. He laughed. One thing was for sure; these stairs were slowly turning them all insane.

"Are we there yet?" moaned Barret.

"Not yet," said Tifa.

"…there yet?" he asked again not even two seconds later.

"I said not yet!" she snapped back.

"Yo…" began Barret.

Before he could continue, Tifa interrupted him with an extravagant display of annoyance in her voice.

"Look, don't even ask! We're way way way way far away from being there, ok!?"

Cloud couldn't help but shake his head. He was mostly annoyed at the constant bickering but another part of him found it amusing.

"Damn, man!" Barret bellowed. "I've had it! I'm going back!"

"And take just as long going down as you did coming up?"

They stopped for a breather. Tifa was perspiring slightly, her skin shiny, but sweat was pouring from Barret's face and he was breathing very heavily.

"C'mon, Barret. Pull it together!" said Tifa.

"Yeah, well all I know is I'm just flesh 'n' blood… 'cept for this arm of mine. Don't treat me like I'm some ex-member of SOLDIER or somethin'…"

"What about me!?" Tifa retorted. "I'm human too! Oh, do what you want, I'm going on!"

She stomped up the stairs but then stopped halfway up and turned around with a sheepish look on her face.

"Barret!" she cried. "You go first!"

"What're ya ignorant? I didn't mean that…"

"Alright, alright!"

Barret shook his head, took a big gulp of air and continued.

"Cloud, you go on ahead too!"

What was up with her? Not wanted to waste any more time, he rushed past her and could hear her footfalls as she trailed behind.

"Yo… what floor is this?" asked Barret as they were halfway up another set of stairs.

"I gave up counting," Tifa replied miserably.

"Why they gotta build these buildings so damn tall?" Barret wheezed as he stopped for a breather. "That Shinra…they're just no damn good…"

They continued in uncomfortable silence. Whichever way you looked at it, Cloud was the Elfadunk in the room. He was, for a long time, a part of Shinra. He was fighting for a corrupt organisation. He didn't know it at the time. It was a childhood dream of his to join SOLDIER; not just join them but rise to the top. He always strived to be the best and he was blindsided by his pride and he failed to see the bigger picture – that Shinra and all that it stood for was evil through and through. Did that make him evil too? He could understand Barret being standoffish but he and Tifa were childhood friends. Did she see him differently now? So many questions were running through his head.

"Man, I'm beat," Barret huffed. "Marlene, Daddy wanted to see your face one more time…"

"Would you stop acting dumb and climb!?" Tifa growled.

Tifa had always had a temper on her. At least this time she was directing it towards Barret.

"It's just a bit more!" she gasped. "...Maybe."

Man, Cloud hoped that was true. He would be glad to see the back of these stairs. They entered the next level and saw an exit at the top with a bright light emanating from within it. Finally! They pushed themselves to their limits towards the gleaming exit, stopping just in front of it so that they could catch their breath. Even though they had no more stairs to climb, no one knew what lay on the other side.

"F…finally…M…made it…" croaked Barret. "N… never wanna see… no more stairs the rest of my life…"

Limbering up, Barret walked through the door, leaving just Cloud and Tifa in the stairwell.

"This really takes it out of you…" Tifa muttered, breathlessly. "But this is it. We'd better get ready…!"

There was no going back now. They followed Barret through the door and into the main Shinra building.

_To be continued…_


	32. Infiltration

The corridor they had entered was very clinical-looking with varying shades of grey spanning from floor to ceiling. It was large and open plan with pea-green chairs placed in the centre. There were two elevators at the other side guarded by three Shinra soldiers donning scarlet-coloured, oversized metal uniforms. The group were spotted almost instantly by them.

"Destroy the intruders!" one of them shouted as they quickly advanced on the team. Cloud disabled them with a Bolt spell that he'd attached to a piece of All materia, cracking their armour and rendering them vulnerable. Without their armour for support, Tifa drop kicked one of the soldiers while Barret pummelled the other one with a peppering of bullets. Cloud cut down the remaining one with his sword. As the last soldier dropped to the ground, Cloud saw something fall out of his hand and slide across the floor.

"What's this?" Cloud wondered as he bent down to pick it up. It was a keycard that bore the number '60' on it. This could come in useful so he pocketed it.

Their only option now was to take one of the elevators to a higher floor. They stepped inside and pressed the button for the 60th floor. The elevator was made completely of glass. Cloud would have been able to see for miles from up here but it was dark now. All he could see was murky shadows of buildings and lights in the distance.

"This is the real thing. Don't let your guard down," cautioned Barret.

"I hope Aeris is alright," Tifa sighed.

The elevator pinged and they stepped out. This floor was mainly open plan with some small side rooms at either side. In the middle of the large room were two perfectly aligned rows of gaudy gold statues of various people that Cloud didn't recognise. There were two armed guards standing in front of them so the group quickly darted to an empty room on the left-hand side. It was stuffy inside with bare furnishings. Wires were jutting out one of the walls and two computers with flickering screens sat side by side on top of a rickety old desk. Whoever used this small office was regarded as a nobody in the eyes of Shinra.

There was another door on the right wall of the office that led directly into the middle section of the floor. Barret glanced through it and then shot back into the office for safety.

"Lookit that, all them guards is runnin' around," Barret gasped. "Cloud, you go on ahead and signal when it's safe to come."

Cloud crept out of the door and looked around. There were more guards here than he first anticipated, weaving in-between the rows of statues.

_Too many to fight, _thought Cloud, _but if we utilise the placements of these statues then we should be just fine._

He waited until the guards turned their back and crept across the walkway, using each gaudy statue for cover. It was a tense moment and a couple of times he was almost caught, but he eventually made it across to safety. He beckoned Tifa next. She was the more agile of the group; fast and silent. He was worried Barret would get caught. He had a huge muscular frame with heavy footsteps. The word 'stealth' wasn't really in his vocabulary. So Cloud breathed a huge sigh of relief when the big man crossed the walkway without once even alerting the guards of a presence.

They quickly ducked into the door on the opposite side and entered a room with a staircase leading up. Thank goodness it was only one flight!

"OK!" Barret rejoiced. "We gonna rock!"

"Remember," Tifa warned him, "we're here to save Aeris."

"Hell, I know that!"

They entered the next level which housed a gigantic green shrub in its centre. This room was circular shaped, bordered with pretty potted shrubs that lit up. Tables and chairs had been placed here and there, and there was a canteen at the far end. Shinra had made a lot of effort turning this floor into some sort of posh eatery. Best of all, it was unguarded.

Shinra workers walked about idly going about their business. No one looked happy. Most bore expressions of mundaneness like they really didn't want to be here yet felt they had no choice. Such was life in Midgar; you were either trapped in the slums or stuck working for a money guzzling corporation. Take your pick.

They caught the eye of a worker who came strutting over to them with a maddened expression on his face.

"The hell are you? What're you doin' around here?" he demanded.

He looked at Cloud and pursed his lips, crossing his arms as he did so. This guy was annoyed.

"Oh, I see. So you must be that whatcha call it… Shinra Inc. Repair Division!" He hastily looked around at the walls and floor. He looked disgusted. "You know, it looks like this building is starting to fall apart. This door was just pushed open." He gestured towards an electronic door that had a flickering green light shining above it. "You ought to fix this right away. Oh yeah, and take a look on the other floors too. I'll give you this."

He fished out a keycard and handed it to Cloud. It had the number 62 written on it. This was great. Everything was falling into place. This was easy. Too easy...

The next floor contained a library. There were four compartments in the middle section each containing different coloured shelves with contrasting carpets. There was nothing extravagant about it at all, the whole floor adopting a very clinical aesthetic. After finding nothing useful within the four compartments, they eventually made it into one of the tiny rooms at the left-hand side.

This room had a warm feel to it. Its décor was a calming mixture of verdant greens and muted browns, decked with lush plants and grand, oaken furniture. A man who seemed to blend into his surroundings wearing a brown tweed suit was standing in the corner next to a large television. Upon seeing the group, he asked them, "Hmm? Oh, and who might you be?"

He eyed them up with keen interest but wore an expression of disgruntlement. He knew who they were but even though he was clearly put off by their general appearances, he didn't seem alarmed that they had barged into his office.

"You all must be those…" – he cleared his throat before continuing. "Me? I'm Domino, the Mayor of Midgar. Actually, I'm Mayor in name only. The city and everything in it is really run by Shinra, Inc. My only real job is watching over Shinra's Documents…" He shuffled uncomfortably. "Me! The Mayor! A librarian! Ohh…"

He took out a piece of paper from the pocket of his tweed blazer and handed it to Cloud.

"You want to get upstairs?" he asked him. "I tell you what, if you can guess the password, I'll give you my keycard. Yes, that's it. Guess the password and I'll give you my keycard! Get it on the first try and I'll even throw in a special item!"

Cloud inspected a list of possible passwords. They were all four letters but the word 'king' stood out to him. Mayor Domino obviously had visions of grandeur but his dreams were impossible. It seemed to fit.

"Got it?" the Mayor asked. "Then tell me."

"King?"

"KING!" the Mayor shouted. "God, I love the sound of that! KING! President Shinra sucks! I should be King of Midgar!"

The Mayor retrieved his keycard from his breast pocket and handed it to Cloud.

"Hmm, well, ok. Here, take it."

Domino looked down at his feet sheepishly.

"I never thought you'd get it on the first try… Just goes to show you can't judge a book by its cover. Oh well, a promise is a promise. Take this, too."

He handed Cloud a blue orb of Elemental materia. He twisted it round in his fingers. This could come in very useful so he quickly pocketed it.

"Why, though?" asked Cloud.

"Why would I do something like this, you ask? To mess with them, of course! Shinra's been torturing me forever. That's why I was a little rough on you all just now. Now go up there and really make them suffer."

He rubbed his hands together voraciously and laughed. "This ought to make us even!"

Shinra had more enemies than allies it seemed. Equipped with the keycard to floor 65, the group made their way to the floor.

_To be continued…_


	33. Eavesdropping

This floor was a bit different from the previous ones. The tiles beneath their feet were a silvery grey, just like the ones on the previous floors, but in the centre of the floor was a large circular room with shiny royal blue tiles encompassing it. When Cloud walked onto them and looked down he could see his own reflection staring back at him. They opened the door to the circular room and stepped inside to see a huge model replica of Midgar standing before them.

"A model of Midgar… Born from Mako sucked right out of the earth," Cloud whispered to himself.

A lot of detail had been put into it. It wasn't just a model. It had a lot of electrical components too. The Shinra Headquarters was sat proudly in the centre like a huge monument, its outer walls shining brightly as each tiny window lit up bright white as if a symbol of its immense power. The slums were hidden away. Of course, they would be. If any of the hierarchy from other companies were shown this model replica, the last thing Shinra would want to showcase was the slums.

Tifa looked longingly at the Sector 7 plate, her eyes heavy with heartache. Even though the slums weren't present in this false Midgar, you could see her eyes envisioning the Sector 7 slums beneath. She was a strong woman who had built a life for herself; and even though the slums were a terrible place, she had created a little drop of paradise inside that bar, a place where it was warm and people were happy. And now it was gone, all thanks to Shinra.

They decided to leave the room and scout for a keycard that would allow them access to a higher floor. They eventually found it hiding in a box stuffed in the corner of a small room that looked and smelled like it hadn't seen the light of day in a very long time. Whoever the keycard belonged to, they clearly didn't need it now. Cloud wondered what had happened to the former worker. Had they simply left Shinra or were they fired? Maybe something much worse had happened to them. Either way, the keycard was theirs now and they intended to use it.

The floor above seemed bigger and brighter than its counterparts beneath it. This wasn't just any floor. While it still took on a clinical feel, it also had an air of opulence to it. It was not present in the décor but Cloud could feel the importance emanate from within its walls. A huge room took up most of the centre space and Cloud was sure he could hear voices coming from inside.

"It must be a conference room," Cloud said. "We ought to listen in if we can. We might get important information."

"But how?" Tifa inquired.

"There's gotta be a way," Barret responded.

"Let's look around," Cloud advised.

They traversed the floor. Smaller rooms surrounded the conference room and most had their doors open. Peeking in and realising the rooms were occupied, they rushed to another room. Its door was locked. WC was written on it.

"A toilet?" scoffed Barret. "This ain't no time for that, we got to save Aeris."

"Trust me," Cloud simply said. He didn't have time for this.

They opened the door to the WC. It was a small bathroom with two tiny cubicles in the lower-left corner and two urinals along its left wall. It smelled pleasant enough with just a faint aroma of pine-scented toilet cleaner in the air. Cloud opened a cubicle, looked up and found what he was looking for.

It was an air vent, large enough for even Barret to climb through. If luck would have it, there would be a conjoining air vent set into the ceiling of the conference room. With a small nod, the trio climbed up into the vent and crawled through. The space was tiny and breezy, but the air inside was warm and smelled stale. They crawled through until they came to another vent. Cloud looked down. This was the conference room all right.

A huge fancy table stood in the centre of the room. People were sat around it, many of which Cloud had never seen before. They were all suited, booted and preened. These guys were at the top of their leagues and they knew it. The President was sat at the right-hand side of the table and was rapping his knuckles on its polished surface.

"Geez! That's a lotta suits!" Barret whispered.

"We have the damage estimates for Sector 7," a man with slick black hair in a dark coloured business suit began. "Considering those factories we already set up and all the investments, the damage is estimated at approximately 10 billion gil…"

"We're not rebuilding," President Shinra sharply stated.

"What?" gasped the businessman.

"We're leaving Sector 7 as it is," he continued. "And restarting the Neo-Midgar plan."

"Then the ancients?"

"The Promised Land will soon be ours. I want you to raise the Mako rates 15% in every area."

"Rate hike! Rate hike!" sang a fat man in a dull brown business suit. "And please include our Space Program in the budget!"

The president cleared his throat, took a sip of water and continued, "Reeve and Scarlet will divide the extra income from the rate increase."

"Oh man!" cried the fat man excitedly.

"Sir," began the black-haired man. "If you raise the rates, the people will lose confidence…"

"It'll be alright," replied the President. "The ignorant citizens won't lose confidence, they'll trust Shinra, Inc. even more."

A huge man sporting short black hair and a beard to match, wearing a green, red and black military-style uniform suddenly erupted into a huge belly laugh.

"After all, we're the ones who saved Sector 7 from Avalanche!" he bellowed.

"That dirty bastard!" Barret hissed, trying desperately to keep his composure.

They continued to watch the scene unfold beneath them and heard the door slide open. A middle-aged man wearing a long white lab coat shuffled towards the table with his hands behind his back. He was an odd-looking fellow with a crooked posture, his thinning black hair pulled back into a loose ponytail.

"Hojo," President Shinra said. "How's the girl?"

"As a specimen," Hojo began," she is inferior to her mother. I'm still in the process of comparing her to her mother, Ifalna, but for now the difference is 18%."

"How long will the research take?" he questioned.

"Probably 120 years. It's probably impossible to finish in our lifetime. Or in the lifetime of the specimen too, for that matter. That's why we're thinking of breeding her. Then we could create one that could withstand our research for a long time."

"What about the Promised Land?" asked the President. "Won't it hinder our plans?"

"That's what I need to plan. The mother is strong… and yet has her weaknesses."

President Shinra cleared his throat and addressed his team.

"That concludes our meeting."

The big wigs shuffled quietly out of the room. A blonde woman wearing a long red dress looked up at the air vent. For a second, Cloud thought they had been spotted.

"Something stinks…" she said to herself before sashaying out of the conference room. She must have been able to smell the bathroom as its scents wafted through the air vents.

"They were talking about Aeris… right?" asked Cloud.

"I dunno," mumbled Barret.

"Probably," Tifa said glumly.

"Let's follow 'em," Cloud directed.

They left the bathroom and crept through the corridors of Floor 66. They rounded a corner and saw the professor named Hojo shuffling towards the stairwell.

"Hojo… huh?" Cloud wondered.

They waited for him to enter the stairwell and then followed him onto the next floor.

_To be continued…_


	34. Seeing Red

"I remember him," Barret said as they stood in the stairwell. "That Hojo guy. He's in charge of the Shinra's Science Department. Cloud, don't you know him?"

Cloud shook his head.

"This is the first time I've ever actually seen him. So… that's what he looks like…"

They continued onto the floor. An instant chemical smell hit Cloud that stung his nostrils and made his head spin. The winding corridors buzzed, vibrated and bubbled as the group traversed through them. This must have been the laboratory. Cloud didn't want to even consider the experiments that were going on behind the closed doors.

Following the corridor through to the left-hand side, they entered a laboratory that seemed to be in disarray. Crates were piled up in corners and the whole area looked like it needed a good clean.

Professor Hojo was standing in the middle of the floor peering at a four-legged creature that was trapped inside a glass cage. It looked like some kind of canine, with smooth red fur and a thick mane. It seemed very aware of where it was and what might happen to it because it was snarling at the professor, exposing its long white teeth that were shiny and dripping with saliva.

Cloud heard footsteps approaching from behind. They quickly ducked behind a crate as a man in a grey suit marched past.

"Is this today's specimen?" he asked.

"Yes," replied Hojo. "We're starting right away. Raise it to the upper level."

The man scurried off. Professor Hojo leaned close to the cage so that his nose was almost touching the surface.

"My precious specimen…"

He skulked away muttering to himself leaving Cloud, Tifa and Barret alone in the laboratory. Tifa walked up to the cage and tapped on it. The creature within had stopped snarling as if it somehow understood that Tifa was not a threat to it.

"Precious specimen…?" she mused.

She turned towards Cloud and Barret.

"Is it going to be used as a biological experiment?"

This was Shinra. That's exactly what it would be used for. The creature had two outlooks and both of them were grim. It would either no longer be fit for purpose and be disposed of, or it would live the rest of its life being poked, prodded and poisoned for the 'good of the people'. That's what Shinra would say, anyway. In reality, the crooked firm wanted only two things; money and power. Another thought came to him. The Promised Land. That's what they said in the conference, right? That they wanted to find the Promised Land. Aeris was the key. Why did Shinra need it so badly?

He spotted another chamber and peered inside. An intense heaviness hit his chest and his head ached.

"Jenova…" he whispered.

Inside the chamber was the headless body of a naked woman. Her skin was ashen and opaque with a paper-like quality to it; so thin that you could see veins branching through it. Her body seemed to pulse if you looked at it closely enough. Cloud no longer wished to look at her and tried to pull away but something was drawing him in.

The feeling grew in Cloud's head and he fell to the floor in a heap. What was happening to him? He felt Tifa's gentle hands pulling him into an embrace.

"Jenova… Sephiroth's… So… they've brought it here," he gasped.

"Cloud, be strong!" Tifa encouraged.

"Did you see it?" Cloud asked when he had gained some of his composure.

"See what?" asked Barret.

"It's moving… still alive?" said Cloud in jagged breaths.

Barret peered inside for a second and then turned to Cloud and Tifa with an incredulous look on his face.

"Where's its fuckin' head? This whole thing's stupid. Let's keep goin'."

The guy had a heart of gold beneath that steely exterior. He was right, Cloud realised. His mind was drifting into the past, plucking out fragments of memories; some that were too painful to relive and others that were still shrouded in mystery and making his head ache. Trying to put the puzzle of his memories back together was impacting the mission at hand; and this wasn't an ordinary mission either. A friend was in danger. He shook his head, got to his feet and took the elevator up to the next level.

The laboratory's upper level was cleaner and more spacious. A catwalk jutted out from a mezzanine floor, which was attached to another glass cage in the centre of the room. Professor Hojo was hungrily peering at the young woman trapped inside its confines.

"Aeris!" Cloud yelled.

"Aeris?" the professor asked without turning his head. "Oh, is that her name? What do you want?"

"We're taking Aeris back," Cloud fervently replied.

"Outsiders…" Hojo deliberated. He still didn't take his eyes off Aeris.

"Shoulda noticed it earlier, you…" Barret began, his whole body shaking angrily. The professor promptly cut him off.

"There's so many frivolous things in this world," he calmly stated.

Barret charged across the floor, his gun arm waving dangerously in the air. Cloud and Tifa followed. If this professor Hojo wanted a fight, then a fight is what he was going to get.

"Are you going to kill me?" asked the professor. "I don't think you should. The equipment here is extremely delicate. Without me, who could operate it? Hmm."

Cloud groaned and looked at Aeris who was lying helplessly on the cold hard floor of the cage. Hojo had no desire to fight. His words of logic cut deeper than any act of physical violence ever could.

"That's right," he goaded. "I recommend you think things out logically before you make any rash moves. Now, bring in the specimen!"

The man from earlier was standing in an enclosed control room overlooking the laboratory. He pushed a single button, stepped back and watched as a circular elevator rose into Aeris' chamber, bringing with it the creature from below. Aeris backed away and quickly darted to the other side of the cage as the creature advanced towards her. It crouched low to the ground, its shoulders braced and its sides heaving as it growled threateningly. At this point, Cloud was sure that the beast was more scared than hostile but that still didn't detract from the point that Aeris was stuck in there with no chance to escape.

"Cloud, help!" she screamed as she banged on the glass.

"What do you think you're doin'?" Cloud yelled at Hojo who was looking on as if this was all just a spectacular show at a theatre.

"Lending a helping hand to an endangered species," the professor casually replied. "Both of them are on the brink of extinction… if I don't help, all these animals will disappear."

"Animal?" Tifa protested. "That's terrible! Aeris is a human being!"

"You're gonna pay!" Barret boomed.

"Barret!" Cloud yelled as he turned towards him. "Can't you do anything?"

He raised his Gatling gun into the air and then lowered it so that it was level with the glass cage.

"Awright!" he bellowed. "Step back!"

"Stop!" cried the professor, his protests falling on deaf ears as Barret pelted the glass cage with bullets.

The cage's inner space burst into bright white light, engulfing its captors. Its electronic components buzzed and hissed as the light within became brighter and brighter, eventually causing Cloud to look away. This was not good.

Professor Hojo ran up to the cage and placed his hands onto its surface.

"Wh…what are you do…" he stammered. "Oh! My precious specimens…"

The cage door sprung open but the light inside was still too bright. The canine leapt from the cage, using the blinding light to its full advantage. Hojo didn't see it coming. It floored the professor and pinned him to the ground, its fangs bared and its claws unsheathed.

"Now's our chance to get Aeris!"

Cloud rushed into the cage as the light returned to normal. Aeris was cowering in the corner, her face covered, but her posture relaxed when she saw Cloud.

"Thanks, Cloud."

She ran to Tifa and Barret. Cloud was about to follow her when the elevator suddenly started to whir. Something was coming up, but what? Another specimen? Cloud could hear a monstrous roar coming from beneath.

"Cloud… what's wrong?" asked Tifa.

"The elevator is moving."

The creature loosened Hojo's collar, allowing him to scramble out of its reach. Fumbling with his lab coat, he announced, "This is no ordinary specimen. This is a very ferocious specimen!"

It turned around to face the team, eyeing up each person with its deep intelligent eyes.

"He's rather strong. I'll help you all out," it spoke with a deep masculine voice.

"It talked!?" gasped Tifa, her mouth agape.

"I'll talk as much as you want later, Miss," the beast replied.

Cloud faced the creature. It talked, which meant it held human traits. Therefore, he would treat it as such.

"We'll take care of that monster," Cloud told the canine. "Somebody take Aeris somewhere safe." He glanced towards Tifa who nodded in agreement. "Tifa, I'm countin' on you!"

While Tifa and Aeris fled to safety, Cloud turned towards the beast with the red fur.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Hojo has named me Red XIII," it replied. "A name with no meaning whatsoever to me. Call me whatever you wish."

"Don't you have a real name?" Cloud asked.

The creature didn't answer.

"Okay, Red it is then."

He whizzed around to face the elevator just as the monster reached the top.

"Come on!" Cloud yelled to his team as the monster locked eyes on them.

_To be continued… _


	35. The Ambush

The monster before them was an abomination; possibly an experiment that had gone very wrong. It was bipedal and formed from a conglomeration of different creatures. Its legs looked canine, strong and muscular and covered in a thin coat of fur yet its feet were completely different; huge and deformed with thick black claws jutting out like blades. Cloud couldn't place what kind of creature they had been borrowed from. Its body looked somewhat humanoid, its main features clown-like, right down to the multi-coloured face paint. One of its arms was ape-like, thick and rippling, but the other arm was truly horrific. A gaping maw with glistening razor-sharp teeth was jutting from its shoulder while the arm itself was long and thin, with muscles that looked atrophied, ending in an oversized, elongated hand complete with claws as long as swords, and probably just as deadly.

Then there were the three identical monsters hovering a metre above the ground in front of it. They looked like tardigrades, yellow and bulbous, their skins rippling like they were formed out of jelly.

Cloud, Barret and Red had no time to react. The monster unleashed a foul-smelling spray of toxic gas from the gaping maw attached to its right shoulder that caused them all to cough and gasp for air, followed then by a quick succession of attacks and spells that knocked them off their feet.

Red leapt forward and slashed one of the tardigrades with his claws. It dropped to the floor and disintegrated but the experiment-gone-wrong lifted its elongated arm and regenerated a new one to take its place. What the heck was this thing, Cloud wondered as he unleashed an Ice spell at it and watched it writhe in pain as the coldness gripped its body.

Barret shot at it, its hideous body twisting and juddering as the bullets tore into it, but it soon became rigid, untwisting itself and unleashing another powerful blast of toxic fumes. This time Cloud was able to evade it. He leapt towards the beast and slashed it right across its midriff, causing its guts to empty onto the floor of the laboratory. It dropped to the floor in a hideous mass of gore, the tardigrades dropping like flies around it.

"Wh…what… the heck… was that?" Barret huffed.

Tifa and Aeris re-joined the team now that it was safe again. Cloud was glad to see that Aeris looked unharmed and that her face still glowed with optimism. He could learn a thing or two from her.

"Aeris, you alright?" he asked her.

"She seems alright," Tifa replied for her, "…in many ways."

"I have a right to choose, too," Red stated. "I don't like two-legged things."

"What are you?" Barret asked him.

Red looked at him with his dark, perceptive eyes, as if he was reading him.

"An informed question," he began. "But difficult to answer. I am what you see. You must have many questions, but first, let's get out of here. I'll lead the way."

"Cloud," cried Aeris as she hopped towards him, buoyant as ever. "So you did come for me."

"I apologise for what happened back there," Red replied, facing her. "I was merely acting to throw Hojo off guard…"

"Now we've saved Aeris, ain't no need to be in this buildin'! So let's get the hell outta here!" ordered Barret, rearing to go.

"If all five of us go together, we'll be noticed. Let's break up in two groups," Cloud suggested.

Tifa and Aeris decided to stick together. The two women were clearly forming a bond. It was nice to see new friendships being made, thought Cloud.

"I'll see you later!" Aeris said with a smile and a wave. "We'll be waiting at the 66th Floor Elevator."

Cloud spotted the man in the grey uniform cowering in the corner of the laboratory and strutted over to him. This man had no qualms about introducing Aeris and Red before the shit hit the fan, but he seemed to be regretting his actions now; either that, or he was just feeling sorry for himself.

"No!" he cried, putting his arms up in a defensive gesture. "Please don't kill me! I only did what Hojo told me to do." He pulled out a keycard from his jacket pocket. "To prove it to you… here, this is the keycard to the 68th floor. Would I be doing this if I was the enemy?"

His question must have been rhetorical because he gave Cloud no time to answer it before scarpering and disappearing around the corner and into the corridor.

The team crept out of the laboratory and down the levels of the Shinra building and into the 66th Floor elevators. Cloud took one while Barret and Red took the other. Tifa and Aeris weren't here but Cloud wasn't alarmed yet. Perhaps they had taken a longer route.

The door shut swiftly behind him but suddenly pinged back open as a black man with a shiny bald head wearing a sharp business suit stepped inside, followed by the man from the helicopter back at the Sector 7 Plate. He was the one that kidnapped Aeris. Cloud seethed, clenching his fists.

"H-hey! What is it?" Cloud stuttered as the black man stepped closer. If there was one thing he hated more than anything it was having his space violated.

"Would you press 'Up' please?" the man said in a patronising tone, pointing upwards as if Cloud didn't know what it meant.

"Turks?" Cloud whispered to himself. "Must be a trap..."

The man with the long hair turned to Cloud, a small smirk creeping onto his lips.

"It must have been a real thrill for you… Did you enjoy it?"

He had no chance to respond as he was forcefully lead out of the elevator. Armed guards were waiting for him outside. They swiftly handcuffed him and lead him up the stairwell. He was pushed towards the top of the building, most likely to President Shinra's office. There, he met the rest of the team, all of whom were in the same predicament.

"You all got caught, too?" Cloud asked as they all lined up in front of the President's desk.

The only one missing was Aeris. Damnit, he thought angrily. She must have been captured again.

"Where is Aeris!?" Cloud demanded.

"In a safe place," the President replied coolly as he rose from his chair. "She's the last surviving Ancient…" He stepped from his desk and walked to the other side of the room. "Don't you know? They called themselves the Cetra and lived thousands of years ago. Now they are just a forgotten page in history."

"Cetra… that girl," Red whispered, "is she a survivor of the Cetra?"

President Shinra stood before them, gesticulating wildly as he talked.

"Cetra, or the Ancients will show us the way to the 'Promised Land'. I'm expecting a lot out of her."

"The Promised Land?" asked Red. "Isn't that just a legend?"

"Even so," President Shinra replied, "it's just too appealing to not to pursue. It's been said the Promised Land is very fertile. If the land is fertile…"

"Then there's gotta be Mako!" Barret interrupted.

"Exactly. That is why our money-sucking Mako Reactor is necessary. The abundant Mako will just come out on its own. That is where Neo-Midgar will be built." He rubbed his hands together greedily. "Shinra's new glory…"

"Bastard!" roared Barret as he tried to free himself from his shackles. "Quit dreamin'!"

"Oh really, don't you know? These days all it takes for your dreams to come true is money and power." He paused. "Well, that is all for our meeting."

The black man from before stormed towards the group.

"Come on!" he ordered. "Outta his way!"

"Hold it! I got a lot I wanna say to you!" roared Barret before the Turk forcefully dragged him from the office.

Cloud and his team were lead downwards towards the laboratory. There was a separate area on the right-hand side of the floor that contained tiny cells. He watched as his comrades were roughly pushed into their cells, and then felt harsh hands tug at his clothes as he too was forced into a cell of his own, along with Tifa, the door slamming shut behind them.

_To be continued…_


	36. Held Captive

The cell stunk of stale air and the faint aroma of cleaning fluids. Tifa was lay on the only bed. It was barely a single-size with a tiny, flat pillow and one off-white sheet. Cloud paced the small room wondering about the others. Was Aeris okay? He wondered if she was here too or whether Hojo had gotten hold of her again.

"Can we get out?" Tifa whispered.

"Kinda hard," he replied dolefully.

"Don't give up!" she whispered back.

He looked around the room for anything he could use as an escape, but there was nothing. The ceiling was high and there were no windows since the cells were contained within a much larger room. The air vents in the ceiling were so tiny you could barely fit a hand in them.

"Cloud, are you there?" came a voice from the adjoining cell. It was Aeris! So, she'd been thrown into the cells too. He decided it was a good thing. They were at least all together now, even if they were locked in these dingy cells.

"Aeris!?" he cried. "You safe?"

"Yeah, I'm all right," she replied. "I knew that Cloud would come for me."

"Hey, I'm your bodyguard, right?"

"The deal was for one date, right?" she replied with a giggle.

Tifa suddenly rose from the bed.

"…Oh, I get it."

"Tifa!" Aeris gasped. "Tifa, you're there too!"

"EXCUSE me!" Tifa said, jumping from the bed and pacing. "You know, Aeris. I have a question."

"What?" Aeris asked.

"Does the Promised Land really exist?"

"…I don't know. All I know is… the Cetra were born from the Planet, speak with the Planet and unlock the Planet. And… then… the Cetra will return to the Promised Land. A land that promises supreme happiness."

"What does that mean?" Tifa asked sympathetically.

"More than words… I don't know."

"…Speak with the Planet?" asked Cloud.

"Just what does the Planet say?" Tifa wondered.

"It's full of people and noisy. That's why I can't make out what they are saying."

The cells were silent for a short moment.

"You hear it now?" Cloud eventually asked.

"I, I only heard it at the church in the Slums," Aeris began. "Mother said that Midgar was no longer safe. That is… my real mother." Her voice took on a melancholic tone as if the death of her real mother was still as painful now as it was back then. "Someday I'll get out of Midgar… speak with the Planet and find my Promised Land… that's what mom said. I thought I would stop hearing her voice as I grew up, but…"

Cloud waited for Aeris to continue but her cell was silent. He was finding out a lot about her. She had had a tragic past and even though you could sense the sadness in her voice, most of the time she was buoyant and upbeat, gleaning positivity from the darkest days. She might have been a Cetra, but she was also an enigma and Cloud wanted to know more.

He could hear Red talking in the opposite cell.

"…Grandpa," he whimpered.

"Grandpa!?" Barret scoffed before bellowing like he had just heard something funny. "Grandpa... hmm..." His voice trailed off and he began tittering to himself.

"What's so funny?" asked Red.

"Nothin'," replied Barret trying to stifle a laugh.

The cells were very quiet again. Cloud sat down on the cold floor of the cell, brought his knees up and rested his face in between them. It was uncomfortable but he didn't want to disturb Tifa.

"Hey!" yelled Barret, breaking the silence. "Aeris is an Ancient and the real name of the Ancients is Cetra. The Ancients know where the Promised Land is and the Shinra is searching for that Promised Land. I only heard stories 'bout the Promised Land. I don't know if it really exists. Is that right? The Shinra believe that the Promised Land is full of Mako energy. Which means if the Shinra get there, they'll suck up all the Mako energy… and the land'll wither away. The Planet's gonna get weaker. I can't just leave 'em be. I'm recruitin' new members! Me, Tifa, Cloud… and Aeris too. How 'bout you?"

There was an awkward pause between him and Red. Cloud figured Barret was trying to catch his breath. That was a lot of words in one go, and everyone knew that Barret wasn't usually one for talking deep.

"You're so damn boring," Barret replied after a while.

Everything was silent again except for the soft sounds of Tifa's snoring. Cloud could feel his eyes getting heavy. Before he knew it, he too had drifted off to sleep. When he awoke sometime later he could sense that something was amiss. He looked around and noticed the cell door was open. He was suddenly wide awake, every sense telling him that something wasn't right.

"The door's open…" he said to himself. "When did it open?"

He walked out of the cell, turned to his left and gasped. The guard that had been posted to watch the cells was lying on the floor in an awkward position. As Cloud crept closer he could see blood, dark and thick, oozing from an open stab wound in his chest. He bent down. The guard was already stiff and barely warm. He had been dead for quite some time. It didn't take Cloud long to realise that the guard had been murdered. He ran back to the cell to tell Tifa the grim news.

_To be continued…_


	37. A New Threat

"Tifa… wake up!" Cloud yelled tugging on her shoulder. She opened her eyes, rubbed them as if she had just been roused from a dream, and sat up.

"What is it?"

"Something's wrong. Look outside."

Tifa stepped outside and Cloud followed her. She crouched down beside the dead guard, her brow furrowed as if she was still trying to take it all in.

"I wonder what happened…?" she asked finally after a heavy silence.

"He should have the key on him," said Cloud as he rifled through his pockets. As well as a key to the cells, he also had a small photo on him. He and Tifa glanced at it quickly, but whilst Tifa looked away, Cloud felt drawn to it. The picture showed him with a woman and two young girls. They must have been his family. They all looked so happy but now that happiness had been shattered. He was dead and they would be forever mourning.

"Come on, Tifa, get Aeris, I'll go help the others," he said, trying to break free from his miserable thoughts.

"Barret, Red… come with me. Something's wrong," he said as he stepped into the end cell.

"How'd you get in?" asked Barret alarmed. "Why's the door open!?"

Barret and Red followed Cloud down the corridor. When they saw the guard laying there in a pool of blood, their eyes widened.

"The hell's goin' on!?" Barret bellowed.

"No human could've done this," Red said. "I'll go on ahead."

"I'll clean up back here," said Barret, "so you guys go ahead. And don't get caught by Shinra!"

Cloud went into the cell where Aeris was pacing.

"Come on, let's follow Red!" Tifa ordered.

They followed a trail of blood to the laboratory, bumping into dead bodies along the way. As he rounded the corner, Cloud recoiled in shock. The chamber holding the Jenova specimen had been ripped out the floor, leaving a gaping hole and exposed wires and tubes.

"…Did it get away?" Cloud asked, more to himself rather than his comrades. "Jenova…?"

"Jenova Specimen…" Red began. Cloud turned towards him. "Looks like it went to the upper floor using that elevator for the specimens."

They followed the trail of blood to the upper level, expecting to see the specimen there, but they found nothing except for more bodies and a streak of blood as it continued towards the upper floors of the Shinra building.

"It looks like it leads up…" Red deduced.

Cloud, Tifa and Aeris followed the trail upwards. The smell of iron-rich blood was stronger here. Cloud braced himself, warning his comrades. They nodded to say they understood, neither one backing down. They had come too far now. Whatever was going on, they had to see it through to the end.

They entered the President's office. Aeris saw it first, gasping and putting a hand to her mouth. Cloud followed her frightened gaze, his eyes locking on to what she had seen. It was the President, and he was very much dead. He was slumped over his desk, a long, thin sword protruding from his back. It was _his_ sword… He had returned…

Barret and Red stormed into the office a few moments later, jolting Cloud from his thoughts.

"He's dead…" gasped Barret. "The leader of Shinra. Inc is dead…"

Tifa ran up to the President, not taking her eyes off the sword that had ended his life. Cloud could see the fear in her eyes; she had every right to be scared. Only she and Cloud knew who they were dealing with so far. The rest would no doubt understand more about this new foe and the unimaginable power he could harness. Sephiroth… the most powerful man in the world. Hidden memories started to come back to Cloud. He shook his head as if doing so would clear his mind.

"Then this sword must be…!?" she cried.

"Sephiroth's!" Cloud finished for her.

"…Sephiroth is alive?" she whimpered.

"…Looks like it. Only Sephiroth can use that sword."

"Who cares who did it!?" Barret bellowed. "This is the end of the Shinra now!"

"Uh!"

A frightened whimper could be heard coming from behind one of the support pillars holding up the ceiling to the right of President Shinra's desk. The fat man wearing the brown-coloured business suit that had been in the conference meeting peeked from his hiding place. Spotting his chance to escape, he charged from behind the pillar and dashed towards the exit, but Cloud and Barret caught him.

"P, p, p, please, don't kill me!" he stammered.

"What happened?" asked Cloud as he gripped the man's arm.

"Se…Sephiroth… Sephiroth came."

So it was true. Deep down he knew it had to be, but hearing his name from a stranger made it seem more real.

"Did you see him?" Cloud questioned, tightening his grip on the man's arm. "Did you see Sephiroth?"

"Yeah, I saw him!" he squealed. "I saw him with my own eyes!"

"You really saw him?" Cloud asked. A part of him was still in denial and he couldn't toss that feeling aside no matter how hard he tried.

"Uh! Would I lie to you at a time like this!? And I heard his voice too!" The man glanced around, his eyes wide as if expecting to be ambushed. "Um, he was saying something about not letting us have the Promised Land."

"Then what?" Tifa piped up. "Does that mean the Promised Land really exists and that Sephiroth's here to save it from Shinra?"

"So he's a good guy then?" Barret asked.

"Save the Promised Land?" Cloud scoffed, shaking his head. "A good guy? No way! It's not that simple! I know him! Sephiroth's mission is different!"

They released the man and watched him scramble towards the door to the balcony outside the President's office, just as a helicopter touched down. A young, suave-looking man in a white trench coat climbed out of it. He seemed less than bothered about the murderous events that had developed inside the Shinra building, his face smug.

"Rufus!" snapped Barret. "Shit! I forgot about him!"

"Who's that?" asked Tifa.

"Vice President Rufus," Barret replied gritting his teeth. "The President's son."

The group followed the fat man outside, meeting Rufus in the flesh for the first time. He looked nothing like his father. He was slender-framed with long blonde hair, sharp features and penetrating blue eyes that could freeze molten lava. His expression was conceited, his lips slightly upturned as if he was trying not to laugh at his father's untimely demise.

"…So," he began. "Sephiroth was actually here." He scoped the group with his piercing, judging stare. "…By the way. Who are you guys?"

"I'm Cloud, former SOLDIER First Class!" he announced determinedly.

"I'm from AVALANCHE!" Barret declared, waving his fists in the air.

"Same here!" Tifa proclaimed.

"…a flower girl from the slums," Aeris said demurely.

"A research specimen," Red finished.

"What a crew," Rufus replied sardonically. "Well, I'm Rufus. The President of Shinra, Inc."

"You only President, 'cause yer old man died!" Barret thundered.

"That's right. I'll let you hear my new appointment speech." He cleared his throat just like his father used to do when he was preparing a long talk. "…Old man tried to control the world with money. It seems to have been working. The population thought that Shinra would protect them. Work at Shinra, get your pay. If a terrorist attacks, the Shinra army will help you. It looks perfect on the outside. But, I do things differently. I'll control the world with fear. It takes too much to do it like my old man. A little fear will control the minds of the common people. There's no reason to waste money on them."

"He likes to make speeches just like his father," whispered Tifa.

Cloud turned to Barret.

"Get outta this building with Aeris!" he mouthed.

"What?"

"I'll explain later! Barret! This is the real crisis for the Planet!"

"The hell's that supposed to mean?" he asked with a puzzled expression on his face.

"I'll tell you later! Just take my word for it now! I'll go after I take care of him!"

"Awright, Cloud!"

The team darted back into the office, leaving Cloud and Rufus alone outside on the balcony.

_To be continued…_


	38. The Predecesor

They raced down the bloodstained steps but Aeris stopped halfway, rubbing her hands together anxiously.

"Cloud… I just thought of something," she said, her thoughts turning to him. He was a strong man who had been in SOLDIER and who had fought bigger foes than that despicable man up there, but if Rufus was anything like his father then he would have some sort of trick up his sleeve. The Shinras' only ever knew how to play dirty.

"…I'll wait for Cloud," Tifa said reassuringly. "Everyone, get to the elevator!"

"Hmm, it's going to get pretty ugly from here on," Aeris warned as she, Barret and Red headed for the elevator. "We should check on our equipment."

Once everything was in order, Aeris pushed the button for the elevator. The door pinged open and they stepped inside. At first, nothing seemed out of place but as soon as the door shut behind them, Aeris got a distinct feeling that something was not right.

She had been blessed with an amazing sense of intuition since she was very young, always knowing when something bad was going to happen, or when someone had died or was near to death. It was a blessing, she knew that, but it was also a curse. Of course, being a Cetra was something to be proud of, and she most certainly was, but she also wished that, just once, she could be normal like everyone else.

That intuition had resurfaced again when the door to the opposite elevator pinged open. A fierce-looking robot complete with wheels and huge guns mounted on its heavily armoured roof barged its way inside. It locked onto its targets with incredible precision and shot a succession of bullets that smashed the glass walls of the elevators, showering the group in piercing shards.

Once the trio was exposed, the hulking robot shot at them repeatedly with its aux artillery weapons. Aeris was gifted as a natural healer and stood at the back of the group casting her healing spells and throwing in a potion or two, whilst Barret and Red pummelled it with gunfire and Bolt spells, each one taking turns and working together like a well-oiled machine. Eventually, it unleashed a devastating attack that knocked the entire group off its feet.

"Cure!" yelled Aeris as a flash of bright green healing magic sparkled around the trio, engulfing them in its energy before dissipating.

Barret fired another shot at the robot. It juddered and sparked, eventually falling to the floor. Thick black smoke snaked through the air, reducing the visibility to almost nothing. Aeris heard a whirring sound coming from above. She saw a shadow slowly materialise, growing bigger and bigger, and as the sounds grew louder, she eventually saw another robot descending into the opposite elevator.

It was a strange-looking robot. It stood upright, using its large metal arms for support. They were also its weapons, Aeris noticed as she paid careful attention to their shape and components. Not only did it rely on them for support, but they were also firearms, and they looked powerful too. Its body was oval, almost cocoon-like, and attached to the top of it were three spinning rotors set at opposite angles to each other.

The robot rose off the ground and when it did so, its whole body began to spin. No longer needing its weapons as support, it instead fired powerful shots towards the team which they were mainly able to evade, the odd wounds it managed to inflict being swiftly cured by Aeris' powerful healing spells. They countered the robot's attacks with Bolt spells and bullets, ravaging it until it stopped spinning and dropped to the elevator floor with a thud, joining the previous robot in eternal ruin.

* * *

Rufus Shinra paced the balcony, his eyes locked onto Cloud with steely precision.

"Why do you want to fight me?" he asked, his gaze unfaltering as he strode from left to right and back again.

"You seek the Promised Land and Sephiroth," Cloud sternly replied with a fixed stare. Rufus didn't scare him.

"Hm, exactly. Did you know that Sephiroth is an Ancient?"

Small talk, Cloud thought. He knew what a distraction technique was and could see it a mile off. What was Rufus planning?

"…A lot has happened," Cloud retorted. "Anyway, I can't let either you or Sephiroth have the Promised Land!"

"I see. I guess this means we won't become friends."

The young President lifted his left hand and clicked his fingers whilst cocking his shotgun with his right. A black hound with silky fur and a slender yet muscled frame darted around the corner of the balcony and stood at Rufus's side. It was statue-like, poised to attack, but only on its master's command.

Cloud barely dodged the first bullet. He could feel the hot blasts of burned air rush against his face as the deadly projectile zoomed past him, eventually coming to rest by embedding itself in the wall at the far end of the balcony.

"Dark Nation. Attack," ordered Rufus.

The guard hound locked its sharp unforgiving eyes onto Cloud, lowering its slick body to the ground before pouncing. With not even a split second to spare, he brought up his sword, effectively blocking the hound's vicious attacks. The beast was relentless, however, kicking at Cloud's sword with its thick hind legs and trying to bite his hands with ferocious hunger.

"Dark Nation. Retreat," Rufus ordered again.

It retreated instantly, backing away cunningly and not taking its eyes off Cloud, as if it was still trying to get the measure of its foe and already planning its next move.

A helicopter hovered overhead, causing Cloud to momentarily lose his composure. Rufus used this to his advantage, taking another shot at his adversary, successfully this time, hitting him with a bullet to the right shoulder. Cloud cried out in pain but gritted his teeth, countering the attack with one of his own. Rufus fell to the floor as the sword crisscrossed along his chest.

"Heh… that's all for today," Rufus said breathlessly as Cloud pulled out a hi-potion from his rucksack and took a swig. "Dark Nation… finish him."

The dog flung itself at Cloud just as he had taken the last drop of the potion. The empty bottle smashed against the hard concrete floor of the balcony as he brought up his sword, slashing the beast lengthways across its chest, blood and guts spilling across the floor. It let out a final agonising howl, dropped to the floor and was still.

Rufus looked up as the helicopter hovered close to the ground, not even glancing towards his fallen comrade. The hound was merely a tool to him; nothing more, nothing less. It was disposable too, just like his father was, whose body was probably still warm. His successor was a cold-hearted man who held only himself in the highest regard. Midgar would go downhill rapidly from now on and hope was fading fast.

Cloud turned and left the balcony as Rufus climbed on board the helicopter. He met Tifa inside who was waiting anxiously for his return.

"Where's Rufus?" she asked him.

"I couldn't finish 'em," Cloud replied stubbornly. "Looks like this's gonna get complicated."

* * *

Aeris and the others finally made it to the ground floor. It was completely void of people and an eerie silence enveloped the entire space.

"I'll go on ahead!" yelled Barret as he barraged through the front doors.

The silence was short-lived as he fired at Shinra soldiers who had homed in on him like missiles as soon as he set foot outside the building. He backtracked slowly towards Aeris and Red, maintaining a fierce deluge of bullets towards the swarm of soldiers until they eventually backed down.

"Shit!" he hissed. "Surrounded, huh?" He turned to the team. "If I was alone this wouldn't be a thang, but I gotta reputation to protect."

"You all get out while you can," Aeris said, calmly. "It's not you they're after… it's me."

She might only be young, but she had had her fair share of turmoil in her short life, and things were always brighter the next day. You just needed hope and the drive to carry on, otherwise what was the point in living? Tomorrow would come. And it would be brighter, if not for her, then for her friends. She felt her lips turning upwards into a smile. People said smiling was hard but for Aeris smiling came naturally.

"Yeah, well that ain't happenin'," replied Barret defiantly. "You got caught up in this over Marlene. Now, it's my turn to watch out for you!"

He turned to face the Shinra soldiers outside.

"Ok, playtime's over for you jackasses…"

He fired another round of bullets and watched as bunches of soldiers scattered off into the distance. The whole of Shinra was shook up now that their President was dead, but it wasn't over yet. They still had to get out of this place, and Midgar for that matter.

"…Thank you, Mr. Barret!" Aeris chimed.

"Who you callin' Mr. Barret?" he scoffed. "That don't sound right!"

"Well then…" Red interrupted, "if you are through talking, may I suggest that we think of a way to get out of here."

Barret turned to the red-furred canine.

"Huh? Oh, oh yeah," he said, his features turning into a slight frown. "You a cold man. Just like someone else 'round here I know."

"Did you say something?" Red replied sarcastically, cocking an eyebrow.

"Notta thing," Barret answered. "So, what're we gonna do?"

Just then, the silence was permeated with Tifa's voice as it echoed around the spacious lobby.

"Barret!" she called as she bounded down the steps towards them.

Aeris glanced around looking for the all too familiar sight of Cloud's spiky blonde hair, but Tifa was on her own. Had he been… killed? No, she defiantly told herself. No way. Cloud's story was only just beginning. He was planning something, she was sure of it.

"Tifa!" Barred called out. "Where's Cloud?"

Tifa ran to the left-hand side of the lobby, gesticulating wildly with her arms for the group to follow her.

"Everyone, over here!" she yelled.

"Huh? What's up?" Barret questioned. "Where's Cloud?"

"I'll tell you later! Hurry, Hurry!"

Aeris and the team followed Tifa as she darted through a small side door that lead to a sales forecourt displaying some of the Shinra's company vehicles. Sat on a small podium was a sky-blue pickup truck proudly emblazoned with the Shinra logo. Tifa took the wheel whilst Aeris jumped into the passenger seat. Barret and Red jumped into the truck's cargo area which was open to the elements, giving Barret an opportunity to shoot at any soldiers that tried to pursue them.

Cloud was still nowhere to be seen but then Aeris heard the roaring engine of a motorcycle coming from inside the Shinra building…

_To be continued…_


	39. Burnin' Rubber

He had seen the motorbike in the parking lot behind the first floor and decided on a whim to steal it. It was a risky decision but he and Tifa were beyond rational thinking at that point; they all just needed to get out of this place by any means possible and if that meant stealing a motorbike then that's what he would have to do.

Back in his SOLDIER days, he would have put his mind to anything, big or small, from collecting top-secret leaked data in the Wall Market, to attacking intruders who had infiltrated one of the Mako reactors, to chasing down Shinra whistle-blowers through the Sector 5 slums on a motorbike. He didn't think he'd ever have to ride one again. How wrong he was.

It was a sturdy vehicle made from the strongest of metals and accomplished craftsmanship. It was gleaming in the dull lights of the parking lot. Whoever owned this bike had put a lot of care and attention into it.

He pulled the throttle and revved the engine and as it roared into action Cloud felt a swell of powerful emotions course through his body as though the spirit of the motorbike had been imbued into his soul somehow.

There was no time to think of the others as he rode his way down the steps of the lobby, his head rattling as he descended each step, and onto the ground floor, but he didn't need to. They were already there in a sky blue pickup truck, the girls in the cabin and Barret and Red in the open cargo area.

Cloud signalled for them to follow him and then scanned the front entrance. The door was large enough for Cloud to fit through but the truck was too wide. He had little choice but to smash through the pane of glass that separated the lobby from the outside world and brace himself for whatever injuries followed.

Revving up again, he ducked low, shielding his head beneath the handlebars as the bike careered towards the glass, smashing through it like a cannonball. He lifted his head up, feeling the cool rush of wind on his face. He had made it. The group followed and they made their way towards the highway that would take them out of Midgar for good.

The roads were empty of other vehicles for now but they wouldn't be for much longer. Shinra had eyes and ears all over Midgar and would soon employ their pursuit troops to chase Cloud and his team down, no doubt marching them straight back to the cells.

It didn't take long before the first wave of troops hit the highway. Four bikes surrounded the truck; one at either side, one at the front and another one at the rear, essentially blocking the vehicle at every angle. Barret fired at the bike on the left, downing it instantly and causing it to skid on the asphalt, bright orange sparks flying up into the air until it came to a stop. Cloud took the one on the right, slashing at the tyres. The bike weaved from left to right and then began to spin as its driver lost control. It hit the ground with a thud, its driver flying through the air from the impact.

Cloud took out the last two bikes and the road was quiet again, but it was short-lived as another wave soon followed. This time there were more of them. Four surrounded the truck whilst two others surrounded Cloud. He swiped at the pursuit vehicles with his sword, misjudging a sharp bend and almost crashing into the metal barrier on the right-hand side. One of the perpetrators took this to his advantage, slashing at Cloud's legs with his weapon, but he countered it with an attack of his own, sending both driver and vehicle off the edge of the road and into the slums below.

The biker to Cloud's left dropped back, giving him a chance to support Barret and Red who were attacking from the truck's cargo area with a barrage of spells and bullets. Red flung a Fire spell at a motorbike as it tried to smash into the left-hand side of the truck, causing it to sputter and screech before erupting into a sea of flame and smoke.

To the truck's right was another biker. Barret aimed his Gatling gun at him and fired, which caused the bike to spin out of control. Its rider screamed as he gambolled off the seat and hit the ground, his limbs flailing wildly until the metal barrier on the right-hand side stopped him in his tracks.

The area should have been silent again but it wasn't, for something large was thundering up the asphalt, a machine that must have been so great it made the ground shudder. Cloud snapped his head around so he could grab a quick look. A hulking vehicle with spiked wheels that were larger than its cabin was chasing them down the highway and gaining on them. When he looked dead ahead all he could see was flashing lights and complete darkness. As he grew nearer he could see the edge of the highway and a strip of black and yellow paint signalling the abrupt end. Cloud realised then that they were cornered…

_To be continued…_


	40. A Circle of Friends

Cloud pulled on the brakes and screeched to a halt. Smoke and acrid fumes rose up around him and temporarily obscured his vision. He waved his hands around his face to clear it and tried not to breathe in the toxic tyre fumes.

The truck almost never made it. He could see Tifa sitting behind the steering wheel, her arms outstretched and her back arched as she applied pressure to the brakes. The others braced themselves. You could see the terrified looks on their faces, their features frozen in fear; but the truck juddered to a halt, mere inches from the edge of the road. If she had been driving any faster, they would have hurtled off the side and into the blackness beyond.

They leapt from their vehicles, armed and ready for action, and faced the robotic beast that was thundering ever closer, watching as its form grew larger as it approached. Cloud began to wonder if they would have to fight it at all and envisioned it roaring straight past them and hurtling over the edge, but he knew they wouldn't be that lucky.

"Let's do this," Cloud declared as he removed his sword from its holster and waited for the monstrous vehicle to halt.

Red and Tifa joined Cloud at the forefront while Barret shot at it from a distance. Aeris stayed near to the truck, ducking behind it so that only her head and shoulders were visible, ready to cast her healing spells whenever they were needed.

The bullets ricocheted off its thick metal casing and bounced off the asphalt, barely even denting it, and as it moved forward, the beast didn't even judder as it ploughed into them like a battering ram, knocking them all off their feet. Cloud fell backwards, hitting his head on the floor, but Aeris was quick with her white magic and healed him.

A blast of ice whizzed past Cloud's head. A moment later the hulking machine was encased by a thick sheet of ice. As the ice melted away, huge chunks of the protective casing came with it, exposing its innards which were comprised of wires, tubes and other electronic components that would soon break down when exposed to the elements. Now it was time for brute force.

Barret fired again, honing in on the beast's most vulnerable parts. It momentarily gained some strength but it was whistling as though something inside it would pop and explode at any moment. A wave of flames suddenly erupted from a thick metal tube that was attached to its armour – a flame thrower guessed Cloud. Shinra certainly didn't like to cut corners with their armoured robots.

Cloud rolled to the side, evading the flames, but he could still feel the intense heat as some of the rogue flames darted outwards, almost as if they were honing in on him. Green light pierced the air as Aeris swiftly cured any burns the team might have acquired, just as another blast of ice hit the machine's body. This time it roared pitifully as the ice churned up its insides. It smoked and fizzed as its vital components crumbled and dissolved from the force of the icy blast and fell to the floor in a heap of twisted metal. All that Cloud could hear now was his own heartbeat and heavy breathing.

"Well, what do we do now?" asked Barret after a moment of pensive silence.

Cloud ambled towards the edge of the road and looked across to the barren landscape beyond. A faint band of orange light stretched across the horizon. Another hour or so and the group would be doused in brilliant sunshine. Cloud had felt the warmth of the sun on his face before, but what about the people of the slums? Most would probably live out their lives without ever knowing what the sun looked or felt like. He shook his head dismally until his mind was taken over with thoughts about _him._

"Sephiroth is alive. I… I have to settle the score."

Barret walked up to him. Cloud glanced towards his comrade and saw that he too was looking into the distance. This was not over for anyone. They all had their own motives for continuing this journey. Cloud needed to find Sephiroth. What about Barret? Tifa? Aeris, even? He shot a glance towards Red. He had his own story, too.

"And that'll save the Planet?" Barret asked, jolting Cloud from his thoughts.

"…Seems like it," he responded after a short pause.

"Awright, I'm going!" yelled Barret enthusiastically.

"I'll go too," said Aeris as she slowly made her way towards Cloud. "…I have things that I want to find out."

"About the Ancients?" he asked.

"…Many things," Aeris simply responded.

"I guess this's goodbye, Midgar," sighed Tifa.

He figured they would split up and go their separate ways now that they were leaving Midgar but a part of him was happy that they seemed intent on sticking together.

Cloud had always been introverted, much preferring his own company, but these guys made him feel like he was part of something. Tifa cared for him and he knew she always would, but Barret, Aeris and Red had also shown in their own ways that they too considered him a friend.

It was a weird feeling, neither overtly good nor bad, but it stirred up warm fluttery feelings from within him. He was changing from the cold-hearted SOLDIER mercenary back to the person he used to be – introverted but with a warm heart. It was time to let people in once more and for once be a part of something. It would be hard; after all, once an introvert, always an introvert, but he knew he could do it.

_To be continued…_


	41. A Town Called Kalm

Now that the coast was clear, the group shimmied down a thick wire that was dangling from the edge of the road and onto terra firma.

The ground was sandy and soft beneath their feet; a far cry from the harsh metal and grubby concrete that you could never truly escape from in the city.

No one who lived in the Slums could escape for a thick glass barrier separated the two areas. Beyond the glass lay the ruins of Sector 7. Cloud imagined all of the dead bodies that were still trapped; of Biggs, Wedge and Jessie; of children who should have had their whole lives ahead of them; of families torn apart. He thought of all the people who had somehow survived the initial destruction only to die slow, painful deaths within the darkness.

He shook his head as if by doing so all the bad thoughts would disappear, but they remained. They always would. As he looked around the group and studied their features, he knew that they too were also struggling. They had to fight on. Sephiroth was out there. Rufus too and the Turks. Even though the former President was dead, nothing had really changed. In fact, things would probably get a lot worse.

"You know what?" Aeris began as she looked around at her new surroundings. "This is the first time I've ever left Midgar…"

"Really?" Cloud asked. "You worried?"

"A little," she replied, fumbling with her mousy hair. "…No, maybe a lot. But I have my bodyguard, right?"

Cloud nodded and smiled. He couldn't go back on his promise now.

"…I guess this is the start of our journey…" Tifa mused, her brow slightly furrowed.

"You hate travelling?" asked Cloud, noticing her anxiety.

"…I don't know. But, I don't have anywhere else to go. So I guess it doesn't really matter whether I like to travel or not."

While he initially felt bad, this was her choice. No one was forcing her to come, although he would also hate for them to be separated again after only recently reconciling. After a moment her shoulders relaxed and she smiled.

Cloud turned to Red.

"I'm going back to my hometown," he said stoically. "I'll go with you as far as that."

He turned his head away from the group, signalling that he wanted the conversation to end. Red was an enigma. Cloud also thought he was wiser beyond his years and a good ally. They couldn't lose him. He was intrigued to find out where he came from and what his story was all about.

"You alright?" Cloud asked Barret.

"We told Aeris's mom to go somewhere safe," Barret replied, "so Marlene should be safe too."

"Yeah, she should be."

"She said she didn't want to stay in Midgar anymore," added Aeris as she turned to Cloud and Barret. "…Maybe it's for the best."

Cloud looked ahead. The landscape looked vast from this angle, spanning the entire horizon. The sky was clear and brightening. It was going to be a nice day.

"Then… let's go!" he commanded.

Barret began to wave his arms around and wore a smug look on his face.

"We need a group leader for our journey. Course only me could be the leader," he proudly declared, puffing his chest out for dramatic effect.

"You think so…?" Tifa asked, a sardonic tone to her voice.

"It would have to be Cloud," Aeris calmly informed the group.

"Shit… alright," Barret huffed, realising he was outnumbered. "Go northeast to a town called Kalm. If something happens, we'll meet up there." He plonked himself down on the sandy soil. "'Sides, we can't have five people strolling down the fields. It's too dangerous. Split us into two parties…"

Even though the general consensus was that Barret should not be the leader, he was proving otherwise. He was wiser than he looked. Brawn _and_ brains. So it _was_ possible to have both.

Cloud decided to take Tifa and Aeris with him. Barret looked at him and scoffed.

"…Thought you'd do that," he said with a slight laugh. He put up his hand and waved. "Later, at Kalm!" he yelled as he and Red made their way into the outside world. After checking their weapons and Materia, Cloud and the girls followed.

The fresh air was invigorating and cool against his face and the morning sun warmed his skin. It smelled of grass and soil and salty ozone coming from a nearby beach, but he couldn't see the ocean just yet.

There were a few wild monsters roaming the plains. Most kept their distance but a few attacked, possibly males protecting their territory. They were easy enough to see off.

They ascended a deep grassy slope and saw a small beach on the other side. The waves were lapping at the golden sand, some crashing and foaming at the shoreline and creating a brilliant sound that you would never hear in Midgar. He had missed so much of the natural beauty this world had to offer, but not anymore. He'd travel this world if he had to, especially if it meant finding Sephiroth.

The sun was high in the sky when they finally reached Kalm. It was a picturesque little village paved with purple bricks and lined with quaint houses. It was a welcome relief to the greys and browns and dullness of Midgar. Not even the opulent upper world could compare to this.

"So this is Kalm?" asked Tifa as she looked around with bright eyes.

"I wonder if everyone's there already," Aeris wondered. "Let's hurry over to the inn!"

A sudden, deep feeling pounded at his heart like a fist. It was neither pleasant nor unpleasant, but it was powerful. Kalm reminded him of his hometown of Nibelheim. He longed to go back, even though the Nibelheim he once knew no longer existed. The fire. Oh, how it spread. It took everything he cared about. So many lives had been lost that day…

_Mom..._

He blinked and shook his head and like a bubble popping in the air, his thoughts disappeared.

"Let's go, Cloud," said Tifa as she made her way into the inn.

The inn was quaint and homely with cream-coloured walls and dark-brown beams. It smelled of flowers, cinnamon, wood and old books. Cloud took a deep breath in as though the air was a tonic that would cleanse his soul. He could already feel his muscles loosening.

A middle-aged receptionist with dark auburn hair stood behind the desk. Her face was cheery and welcoming.

"Mr… Cloud?" she asked. "Your party is waiting for you on the 2nd floor."

He emerged into a cosy bedroom with dark floors and beautiful pictures of flowers and landscapes hanging on the cream-coloured walls. The left-side wall was lined with freshly made beds. Cloud could smell the clean linen. It reminded him of the scent of his mother.

"Cloud, you're late!" squealed Aeris as she placed her hands on her hips. The tiny smile that crept onto her lips betrayed her bossiness.

"Yo man, you're late!" Barret repeated. They sure were an impatient bunch…

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Guess everyone's here now," said Aeris.

"So let's hear your story…" Barret urged. "You know, the one about Sephiroth and the crisis facing the planet. Let's hear it all."

Cloud cleared his throat as he made his way into the middle of the room.

"…I used to want to be like Sephiroth, so I joined SOLDIER. After working with Sephiroth on several missions, we became friends."

"You call that a friend?" Barret quipped.

"Yeah… well… he's older than me, and he hardly ever talked about himself." He folded his arms across his chest. Talking about Sephiroth and reliving that day made him feel insecure and he didn't like it. "So I guess you could call him a war buddy… we trusted each other… until one day…"

"…One day?" asked Aeris.

Cloud turned and looked ahead to the wall that joined onto the staircase.

"After the war it was SOLDIER's duty to put down any resistance against the Shinra… that was five years ago. I was sixteen…"

_To be continued…_


	42. Flashback

"_It sure is raining hard," Cloud said as he sat in the back of the rickety old army truck. It wouldn't dampen his spirits though. He'd trained hard for this and now it was finally about to pay off. _

_He shared the truck with three Shinra soldiers, two in the back and one driving, and Sephiroth, an aloof, cold yet cool-looking man dressed head to toe in black with silvery-white hair that flowed down his back. His weapon was as sleek as him and almost as long as his body in length. The silver sword was elegantly curved and glimmered even in the gloom of the truck. In fact, Sephiroth himself exuded an eerie glow that set him apart from his surroundings, like a ghost in a faded picture. _

_Cloud realised he had been staring at Sephiroth so turned his attention to one of the soldiers. He bounded over to the one who was sitting on the floor with his head in his hands. _

"_Hey, how are you doing?" he asked the soldier. "I'm Cloud, and you are?"_

"_I'm all right," the soldier lied, probably trying to save some dignity. His ashen, clammy face deceived the cool persona he was trying to portray. Beads of sweat hung on his forehead. "The name's Hiro."_

"_I wouldn't know… I've never had motion sickness," Cloud replied. _

_Figuring that Hiro needed some time alone, he walked over to the one standing nearest to the front cabin. _

"_Everything okay?"_

_The soldier nodded and looked away. He was probably nervous. This was a big mission after all._

"_Hey," Sephiroth quipped, an edge to his voice. "Settle down."_

"_They gave me some new Materia," said Cloud as he began to do squats to release some of his pent up energy. "I can't wait to use it."_

_Sephiroth hung his head and shook it, taking a deep, disapproving sigh. _

"…_Just like a kid."_

_The statement stung Cloud like a hot needle. He might only be sixteen but he was far from a kid. Not every boy his age got to join SOLDIER._

"_You going to brief us about this mission?" Cloud asked him._

"…_This isn't a typical mission," he replied sharply._

"_Good!" Cloud yelled excitedly. He didn't want any boring, ordinary missions. He'd had his fair share of those already and he was growing restless. _

"_Why do you say that?" Sephiroth mused._

"_I joined SOLDIER so I could be like you," Cloud replied as he walked to the far end of the truck. "But by the time I joined first class, the war was already over. My big hopes of becoming a hero like you ended with the war. That's why I always sign up whenever there's a big mission. Kind of a way to prove myself. Say, how do you feel, MISTER Sephiroth?"_

_Sephiroth looked at him with cold, steely eyes and shook his head. _

"…_I thought you wanted a briefing?" he coolly asked, rolling his eyes. "Our mission is to investigate an old Mako reactor. There have been reports of it malfunctioning, and producing brutal creatures. First, we'll dispose of those creatures. Then, we'll locate the problem and neutralize it."_

"_Brutal creatures… where?" asked Cloud, his stomach turning with nervous excitement. _

"_The Mako reactor at Nibelheim."_

"_Nibelheim… that's where I'm from," said Cloud. _

_It had seemed like ages since he was last there. He thought about his mom all the time and of the fond memories he and Tifa used to have at the well and in the mountains. He didn't expect a mission to bring him back and he certainly didn't expect brutal creatures borne from Mako energy to be lurking in the area. _

_Mako was the most powerful substance on Gaia. If a creature were to be infused with it then its strength would surely surpass the power of any normal specimen. He wondered just what kind of immense power they would be dealing with and was thankful that Sephiroth was here as he was one of the most powerful men Cloud had ever known. _

"_Hmm… hometown…" Sephiroth mumbled half-heartedly as if he wasn't really interested in what Cloud had to say. _

_He realised quite early on that Sephiroth was a very selfish and conceited man, but Cloud liked that about him. It added to his mystique. _

_The truck suddenly shook violently as something large and heavy struck it. It skidded to a halt as shockwaves from the impact reverberated through the floor and walls. _

"_Sir… s, something strange just crashed into our truck!" gasped the driver. _

"_That would be our Monster…" claimed Sephiroth with a glint in his eyes. _

_To be continued…_


	43. Painful Memories

_Sephiroth unsheathed his sword from its holster and leapt outside with nary a glance behind him. Cloud followed him out into the gloomy darkness and came face to face with a large green dragon that towered above them. Its underbelly was vivid purple and bulging as though it had just gorged itself on another creature. It let out a war cry that made the air vibrate and Cloud's ears buzz and then it attacked. _

_It unleashed a fiery stream at Cloud who could do nothing to evade the inferno except bringing up his buster sword and using it as a shield. His sword grew hot as the heat took hold but he gripped it with both hands until he suddenly saw stars in his field of vision. The next thing he saw was a flash of warming red light which encircled him in a protective sheath, strengthening him bit by bit until he was able to stand again. _

_Wow, he thought. He had never passed out on the field before. He felt embarrassed but also thankful that Sephiroth thought enough about him to use such a powerful revive spell on him. He would thank him for it later; he wasn't sure how, but he'd figure out a way. _

_The dragon still stood proud and tall but now there was a large, red gash across its chest. The beast barely flinched as globules of blood dripped from the wound. It flung back its head as it readied itself for another attack. Hot flames licked at Cloud's flesh. The pain was indescribably torturous but Cloud's torment was short-lived as the blackness enveloped him once again._

* * *

"Sephiroth's strength is unreal," he told the group as they stood in the centre of the bedroom. "He is far stronger in reality than any story you might have heard about him."

"So… where do you come in?" asked Aeris.

Cloud cocked his head. "Me? I was mesmerised by the way Sephiroth fought." There was an eerie silence in the room. It was as though Sephiroth was here in spirit and had inflicted a sense of unease into the group. "…and then we reached Nibelheim."

* * *

_He was here once again. Nibelheim. His hometown. Nothing had changed. It was very quiet, even more so than it used to be. The residents of this sleepy town were probably too scared to venture out. He was not surprised. The dragon was the most powerful beast Cloud had ever encountered. If Sephiroth hadn't been by his side, he would have died. He still needed to thank him…_

"_How does it feel?" asked Sephiroth. "It's your first time back to your hometown in a long time, right? So how does it feel? I wouldn't know because I don't have a hometown…"_

"_Ummm… how 'bout your parents?" Cloud asked._

_He noticed the way Sephiroth shook his head as if Cloud was asking too many questions and was starting to step out of line, so he was surprised when he answered. _

"_My mother is Jenova," he said. "She died right after she gave birth to me. My father…"_

_His shoulders shook as he began to laugh. It was pained; tinged with shame and embarrassment. Who was his father and what had he done to make his son so disgraced? Cloud decided not to broach the subject any further._

"_What does it matter…?" Sephiroth said before quickly changing the subject. "All right, let's go."_

_They walked up the quaint cobbled path until Sephiroth stopped halfway and began to sniff the air. _

"_The Mako smell is pretty bad here."_

_Cloud could smell it too. It was sharp and crisp; an odd mixture of metals and decaying leaves. If you breathed it in for too long it would clog your nostrils and make your head spin. The smell became stronger the more they progressed. Cloud's eyes began to sting and his throat became dry and tickly, but Sephiroth walked on in big strides, the thick soles of his boots clanking against the cobbles. Cloud followed on, trying his hardest to look unfazed._

* * *

"Yo wait a minute!" Barret bellowed. "Isn't that um…? The name of Sephiroth's mother… I remember Jenova. That's that damn headless spook livin' in the Shinra building."

"That's right," replied Cloud.

Tifa placed her hands on her hips and gave Barret a stern look. "Barret, would you please let us hear what Cloud has to say? You can ask questions later."

"Tifa, I was only…"

"Okay Cloud, continue," said Tifa, cutting Barret off.

"It's a reunion of childhood pals!" Aeris excitedly exclaimed.

"…I was really surprised with Tifa," Cloud continued. "…The town was quiet. Everyone must be staying in their houses, afraid to come out because of the monsters. No, maybe they're afraid of us…"

* * *

"_We leave for the reactor at dawn," explained Sephiroth. "Make sure you get to sleep early." He walked towards the Inn. "All we need is one lookout, so you others, get some rest." He went to walk through the door and stopped, turning to look at his comrades. "Oh, that's right… you may visit your family and friends." He disappeared then behind the door. _

_Cloud couldn't help but feel a little more at ease. He looked up to the guy but there was something about him that he didn't like. He wasn't sure what it was exactly, just that something didn't feel quite right and set alarm bells ringing._

_A young man emerged from the building to the Inn's left-hand side._

"_I heard Sephiroth was coming and got my camera ready. I want a shot of Sephiroth and a monster."_

"_Take my picture," Cloud said._

"_I don't take pictures with nobody's."_

_Nobody's? Who did he think he was? Cloud wasn't a nobody. He used to be in SOLDIER._

"_Better get back in the house, it's dangerous," Cloud ordered as he tried to gain a sense of importance. _

"_All right…" he replied, albeit hesitantly. "So big headed…" he muttered under his breath. "Hey? You… are you Cloud?"_

_He nodded._

"_Really? So that's how it is, huh?"_

* * *

Cloud explained where his house was located in the village and briefly explained what it looked like inside. It brought back lots of memories; some that were tinged with bittersweet nostalgia, for at times life felt perfect and he couldn't get it back; some were painful. His dad had died when he was very young. He couldn't remember his face or the sound of his voice; but the worst memory was that of his mother on her final days. He just didn't see that coming. He blinked rapidly to clear hot tears from his eyes. He hadn't felt tears for a long time.

"This is… my house. It has nothing to do with the incident five years ago."

"Yo wait, I wanna hear," Barret said.

"Me too!" Aeris chimed in with her ever-positive voice. "It's been a long time, right?"

"Tell us more!" demanded Barret. "You saw your family, right?"

"All right," Cloud muttered. "I don't know if you could call it a 'family'… my father… died when I was still very young. That's why my mom… was living alone in this house." He looked up at the ceiling as he tried to visualise the past. "Yeah, I saw my mom. My mom… she was a vibrant woman. Hadn't changed at all. But a few days later, she died… but when I saw her, she looked fine."

* * *

_Cloud entered the house where he and his mom lived. It hadn't changed a bit. It was open-planned with the bedroom, lounge and kitchen area on the right-hand side and a slightly elevated utility area at the left which was full of boxes and appliances. It was as homely as ever decorated with warm hues, dark wood and rustic, weathered tiles. _

_His mom was preparing a meal at the kitchen. She had her back turned to him and she was humming softly and swaying her hips to whatever song was stuck in her head. Just like usual. _

"_Uh…?" Cloud mumbled, the words he wanted to say getting stuck in his throat._

"_Ye-s?" his mum called slowly, unaware of who it was that had called out. She turned around, her eyes lighting up when she saw her son. "Cloud!?" she cried, quickly wiping her hands on her apron and bounding over to him. "Welcome home, Cloud!"_

_He scratched his head casually. "Hi, mom."_

* * *

He couldn't remember a lot of the conversation. His heart thudded with panic as he tried to recount his mom's words but no matter how hard he tried to, the memories never came. What was happening to him?

* * *

"_Come, come… let me take a look at you!" she cooed as she licked her finger and swiped it across his stained cheek. "Hmm… you look so handsome." She circled him, admiring his uniform. "So is this a SOLDIER uniform?"_

"…_Mom, I…"_

* * *

The memory abruptly ended as if there was really no memory there at all. Was it real? Why was he thinking like this? Of course it was real. So why was he getting the feeling it wasn't?

* * *

_He was sprawled out on the bed. _

"_My, how you've grown," his mum fussed. "I'll bet the girls never leave you alone."_

"…_Not really," Cloud replied bluntly. _

"…_I'm worried about you," his mom expressed. "There are a lot of temptations in the city… I'd feel a lot better if you just settled down and had a nice girlfriend."_

"…_I'm all right."_

"_You should have… an older girlfriend, one that'll take care of you. I think that would be the perfect type for you."_

"_I'm not interested," Cloud replied, a sharp edge to his voice. He loved his mom but he was practically an adult now. He was in SOLDIER, top of the rank. She needed to accept that this was how things were now. _

* * *

And just like that, the memory ended. In a way he was glad. Knowing what he knew now about how that would be one of the last conversations he'd have with his mom before she died, he wished he could have been less dismissive of her concerns and talked to her more.

* * *

"_Are you eating right?"_

_They were standing in the kitchen. His mom was warming a huge pot of fish stew on the hob. _

"_I'm all right," Cloud replied. "The Company takes care of me._

"_Is that so?" his mom asked, her eyes unable to hide her concern. "You can't cook, right? I was worried sick about how you were doing…"_

* * *

As one memory faded, another quickly came into focus. His head was spinning.

* * *

"_Cloud…?"_

* * *

He remembered nothing about this short memory, other than the look in his mom's eyes. They were heavy with sadness and had lost their vibrancy that always came so naturally. She was hiding something, he was sure of it. He had never seen her look so fearful.

* * *

"_You know, Cloud…"_

* * *

"…_Isn't that right, Cloud?"_

* * *

"_I will always be your mother…"_

* * *

"…Let's stop this…" Cloud said as he began to choke up. His heart was so heavy he felt it might explode. His throat ached and his nose stung as he fought back tears.

"Cloud?" asked Tifa concernedly. "Did you go into my house?"

"Yeah," he responded. "I thought you might be home."

"Cloud…?" she asked again. He noticed she was fidgeting. "Did you go into my room?"

"Yeah. I took your orthopaedic underwear."

He watched as Tifa's eyes widened and her cheeks grew as red as tomatoes.

"Cloud!" she yelled, lunging towards him with a fist.

"It's true," he said.

Tifa stopped in front of him and lowered her fist.

"…Cloud, we're talking about something really important here. Did you play my piano?"

"Yeah, I jammed on it."

He tried to recall the song he played on the piano but the memory was vague. He closed his eyes and tried to visualise the keys.

"…Now, how did this go?"

Cloud hummed the song in his head. A fluttery feeling overcame him as he recalled the familiar tune.

"I've heard this melody somewhere before. Managed to play well…"

* * *

_Cloud entered the inn. It was decorated in hues of scarlet and maroon and decked with dark wood. He approached the man behind the desk._

"_The, uh…" he started, "The whole inn's booked up by Shinra for the night." The man furrowed his brow. "Cloud…? Is it you, Cloud? It must've been two years. Say, you've really moved up in the world being under Sephiroth's command."_

_Sephiroth was upstairs peering out of one of the windows lining the wall of the small hallway. _

"_What are you looking at?" Cloud asked him._

_He slowly turned around to face Cloud. "…This scenery… I feel like I know this place." Cloud noticed how dreamy his eyes looked, but in a split second, they had changed back to being cold, sharp and deeply hypnotic. "…We have an early start tomorrow," he finished. "You should get some sleep soon."_

"_Yeah, let's get some sleep," Cloud replied as Sephiroth turned back to the window._

"_I've hired a guide to the Mako reactor," he said. "I've heard she's young, I hope we can rely on her…"_

_Cloud went to his room, shut his door and lay down on the bed. It wasn't long before he was out cold. He had a dreamless sleep._

_To be continued…_


	44. The Secrets of Shinra

_The sky was bright the next morning. Cloud made his way to the pathway leading up to Mt. Nibel. Sephiroth and the others were already there, as well as two villagers, one of whom Cloud recognised as Tifa's father. _

"_Once the guide gets here, we're heading out," Sephiroth explained. _

"_Listen to me, Sephiroth," Tifa's father began. "In case something happens…"_

_Sephiroth held up a hand in a dismissive gesture. "…Trust me."_

_Frantic footsteps rattled against the cobbles. Cloud turned his head to see Tifa running up to the group wearing an excitable expression underneath a wide-brimmed hat. What was she doing here and why was her father so worried for her?_

"_I'll be all right, Dad!" she declared. "I have two men from SOLDIER with me." She turned to Sephiroth. "I'm Tifa. Nice to meet you!"_

_It suddenly dawned on Cloud._

"_Tifa!" he gasped. "You're the guide?"_

"_That's right. I just happen to be the number one guide in this town."_

"_It's too dangerous!" Cloud warned. "I can't involve you in something like this!"_

"_Then there's no problem if you protect her," Sephiroth casually interjected. "Let's go."_

_As he turned and headed for Mt. Nibel, the man standing at the left of the group suddenly came forward. Cloud noticed that he was the one wanting a picture of Sephiroth and a monster yesterday but was uninterested in a 'nobody' like him until he realised he used to live here. The young man had dented his ego with a few sharp words. He had to admire the guy, for it was rare for anyone to be able to chip at his armour anymore._

"_Ummm… Mr. Sephiroth!" he cried. "Please let me take one picture for a memento!" He turned to Tifa and held his hands together as if in prayer. "Tifa, can you ask him for me too…?"_

_Reluctantly, Sephiroth posed for a quick photo. Tifa took his left side and Cloud, taking the opportunity to have his photo taken, stood at his right._

"_Cheeeeese!" yelled the eager photographer._

_Sephiroth walked away as soon as the camera flashed. He wasn't a shy man, he was just aloof. He had a mission to complete after all. _

"_Great, thank you!" beamed the photographer, running up to Cloud and Tifa. "I'll give each of you a copy once I get it developed!"_

* * *

"A Mako Reactor was built in Mt. Nibel," Cloud told his comrades. "The cold air of the mountains of Nibel. It was no different…"

* * *

_The mountains were grey and barren, each peak, big and small, jutting out of the thick mist and tapering off into jagged, sharp points. The landscape was full of spikes of varying sizes, making the mountain range look like it belonged to an alien planet. _

_They walked for a while, with Tifa proudly leading the way until they arrived at a rope bridge. The bridge had evidently seen better days. It was almost threadbare in parts and its entire length was swaying at the fierce mercy of the cold winds. An abyss of jagged rocks and thick mist opened up below them. The wind whistled eerily below as if there was a monster lurking down below taunting them._

_Tifa ran onto the bridge with blissful unawareness of the dangers._

"_It gets harder from here!" she called to the group. "Follow me!"_

_She continued up the rope bridge, the group reluctantly following her with trepidation. Cloud felt nervous about the condition of the bridge as it became more and more unstable. Suddenly there was a tearing sound as the ropes holding it together began to snap._

"_Uh… the bridge!" Tifa wailed as she clung on to the ropes either side of her. Cloud glanced left, right and straight ahead, trying desperately to cling onto something, but the ropes completely snapped, hurtling everyone into the abyss below._

_Cloud hit the bottom with a thud. He could hardly breathe but he was alive. He sat up and inspected his limbs. No broken bones. A few cuts here and a bruise or two there; superficial wounds, thank goodness. His breaths were still laboured. He figured the fall must have winded him. He took slow breaths until the pain in his chest began to subside. _

_Tifa! He glanced around and found her lying face-down on the cold floor of the mountain. Cloud rushed towards her as she stirred, lifted herself up and brushed herself down. Perhaps seeing the concern in his eyes, she nodded to say she was okay. Sephiroth and one of the soldiers appeared from around a corner. The soldier looked ruffled but Sephiroth had not even one hair out of place. As they got closer, Cloud realised it was Hiro, the one who had motion sickness in the truck. _

"_Everyone seems to be all right," he said to the group as he brushed a piece of debris off his black trench coat. "Can we get back to where we were?"_

"_These caves are intertwined, just like an ant farm…" Tifa explained. "Oh, and Sephiroth… there seems to be one person missing…"_

"_It may sound cold, but we've got no time to search for him," said Sephiroth. "We can't go back now, so we must go on. We'll travel together from here."_

_They entered a cave. It was icy cold inside, with a sharp breeze blowing through it. The walls were an eerie green colour and if Cloud looked at them closely enough, he was sure he could see swirling patterns moving through the slabs of rock until he blinked; then the walls became still again. This wasn't an ordinary cave._

"_What's this?" asked Cloud._

"_A mysteriously coloured cave…" mumbled Tifa. _

"_It must be the Mako energy," said Sephiroth. "This mountain is especially abundant in it. That's why the Mako Reactor was built here."_

_They made their way through the chamber and into a second one. This next chamber still had an eerie green glow to it, but the brightness was a lot more intense. A large tree root had taken up residence here and was intertwined around the walls and the many crevices and fissures that had formed in the rock over the years. There was also a high-pitched humming sound coming from a glistening pool of what Cloud could only assume was Mako energy in its most natural form. It was beautiful and haunting; a true visualisation of Gaia's wondrous power. _

"…_And what's this?" he asked for clarification. _

"_A Mako fountain," explained Sephiroth. "It's a miracle of nature."_

"_It's so beautiful…" gasped Tifa as she gazed at it. _

_She walked up to the fountain and then turned towards the group._

"_If the Mako Reactor continues to suck up the energy, this fountain will dry up too…"_

_The fountain seemed to have a solid core that shone brighter than its surroundings. Cloud couldn't look at it for too long as its brilliance blinded him. He had seen something like this before; materia. _

"_Materia," Sephiroth mused. "When you condense Mako energy, materia is produced. It's very rare to be able to see Materia in its natural state."_

"_By the way…" Cloud interjected. "Why is it that when you use materia you can also use magic too?"_

_Sephiroth looked offended. "You were in SOLDIER and didn't even know that?"_

_Cloud felt his cheeks flush._

"_The knowledge and wisdom of the Ancients is held in the materia," Sephiroth continued, either oblivious to Cloud's embarrassment or choosing to ignore it. "Anyone with this knowledge can freely use the powers of the Land and the Planet. That knowledge interacts between ourselves and the planet calling up magic… or so they say."_

"_Magic… a mysterious power…" pondered Cloud._

_Sephiroth laughed, which caught Cloud off guard. When he laughed, it wasn't because he was being jovial or engaging in a bit of light-hearted fun. That wasn't his way. Sephiroth laughed _at_ people, not _with_ them. Cloud's cheeks were burning now. _

"_Did I say somethin' funny?" he asked defensively. _

"_A man once told me never to use an unscientific term such as mysterious power!" he snickered. "It shouldn't even be called 'magic'! I still remember how angry he was."_

"_Who was that?" Cloud asked. _

"_Hojo of Shinra. Inc… an inexperienced man assigned to take over the work of a great scientist." Sephiroth shook his head. "He was a walking mass of complexes."_

"_A Mako fountain…" Tifa whispered, changing the subject. "So this is where the knowledge of the Ancients is."_

_They left the chamber and pressed on through the cold, winding passages of Mt. Nibel. The reactor came into view as they rounded a corner. It was a huge metal structure set in the rocks of the mountain; a stark contrast to the natural aesthetic of the landscape. _

"_We finally made it," Tifa huffed as she bent forward to catch her breath. "We sure took the long way though."_

"_Tifa, you wait here," Cloud ordered. _

_This mission had already proved dangerous. They were already missing one person. That person was probably wounded, or maybe even dead. It would only get more dangerous now._

"_I'm going inside too!" she stubbornly replied, placing her hands firmly on her hips. "I wanna see!"_

_Cloud shook his head. What Tifa wanted, Tifa usually got. _

"_Only authorised people are allowed in," Sephiroth explained. "This place is full of Shinra's industrial secrets."_

"_But!" Tifa exclaimed. _

_Sephiroth turned to Hiro. "Take care of the lady."_

_Cloud followed Sephiroth into the bowels of the reactor. Tifa tried to follow but her path was obstructed by the soldier who had been assigned to protect her._

"_Mm… man!" she yelled, shaking her fists and stomping her feet on the ground. "Better take real good care of me then!" Cloud heard her say as the door to the reactor closed behind him._

_The main area of the reactor was a mass of girders, walkways and wires stretching over an open pit of liquid Mako energy. There were no railings to prevent falls and you had to keep your eyes peeled for any pieces of metal or a trailing wire that could see you stumbling over the edge to your death. _

_A second, smaller chamber awaited them at the other side. Its walls and floor had been painted blood red and it was full of small blue cryogenic capsules, each row of four lining a set of stairs that lead up to a large metal door to another room. At the top of the door read the words 'Jenova'. Cloud tried to open the door but it wouldn't budge._

"_This is… Jenova, right?" he asked. "The lock won't open…"_

_They inspected the room, making sure to check every capsule. Eventually, Sephiroth found something._

"_This is the reason for the malfunction," he said as he inspected a capsule on the lowest platform. "This part is broken. Cloud, close the valve."_

_Cloud bent down and closed the valve. How could such a simple error create such a catastrophic event?_

"_Why did it break…?" Sephiroth wondered. He peered inside one of the capsules. "…Now I see, Hojo. But, even doing this, will never put you on the same level as Professor Gast."_

_What did he mean, Cloud wondered? His queries were soon answered. _

"_This is a system that condenses and freezes the Mako energy… that is, when it's working correctly. Now, what does Mako energy become when it's further condensed?"_

_Cloud looked up as if trying to garner knowledge from a higher plane. Then it came to him._

"_Uh… umm… oh yeah!" he exclaimed. "It becomes a Materia."_

"_Right, normally. But Hojo put something else in there… Take a look. Look through the window."_

_He was shocked at what he saw through the glass. There was some kind of creature in there. Cloud didn't recognise it. Its skin was grey and leathery and it had thick tendrils coming off the top of its head, formed in such a fashion that it could only be described as some sort of mane. Its face was contorted into a pained grimace, or was it malice? Perhaps it was a bit of both. He couldn't shift the thought that the creature had vague humanoid features._

_Cloud dropped to the floor. His heart was thudding._

"_Wh… what is this!?" he gasped._

"_Normal members of SOLDIER are humans that have been showered with Mako," explained Sephiroth. "You're different from the others, but still human. But what are they?" he asked rhetorically. "They've been exposed to a high degree of Mako, far more than you."_

"…_Is this some kind of monster?" Cloud asked as he picked himself up off the floor._

"_Exactly. And it's Hojo of Shinra that produced these monsters. Mutated living organisms produced by Mako energy. That's what these monsters really are."_

"_Normal members of SOLDIER?" Cloud enquired. "You mean you're different?"_

_Sephiroth brought his hands to his face and began to laugh maniacally. His shoulders shook as his laughter grew louder. He was beginning to scare Cloud._

"_H… hey, Sephiroth!" he gasped._

"_N… no…" His words were ragged, catching in his throat. Normally so calm and collected, this wasn't what Cloud expected of the man he had looked up to for all these years. Something was very, very wrong… _

"…_Was I?" He unsheathed his sword and began to hit one of the capsules with such force that sparks fizzed in the air. Cloud jumped back. "…Was I created this way too?"_

_Sephiroth turned his anger to another capsule on the left-hand side of the stairs, slashing it with his sword. The harsh sounds of metal on metal set Cloud's teeth on edge. _

"_Am I the same as all these monsters…" he cried._

"…_Sephiroth," called Cloud._

"_You saw it!" screamed Sephiroth. "All of them… were humans…"_

"_Human!? No way!"_

_He wanted to believe that but a part of him couldn't shake the image he saw. It may have been a monster, but it had human-like qualities too. Was Sephiroth right?_

_He turned to Cloud. His expression had calmed slightly. Cloud put his guard down and looked at Sephiroth in the eyes. If the man needed to talk then Cloud could only do the right thing and listen._

"… _I've always felt since I was small… that I was different from the others. Special in some way." He shook his head. His eyes looked sad. "But… not like this…"_

_Another capsule on a raised level opened up above them, startling the both of them. It made fizzing and popping sounds as compressed air escaped from inside it. As the air quickly dissipated, the monster from within came into focus. It was vaguely humanoid with the same features of its counterpart that Cloud had seen moments before. While the skin on the upper part of its body was blue in colour, its legs were bright red and glistened with some sort of fluid as if the skin had not yet formed. It was a pitiful sight. The beast was lying down, glancing around as if it was scared and in pain. Its mouth opened and closed again as if it was gravely ill and gasping for those last breaths of air. It let out an agonised roar that sent chills through Cloud's bones before finally becoming still and silent._

* * *

Am I… human? Thought Cloud.

He looked at the group, trying to shake the thought from his head.

"I didn't quite understand what Sephiroth was saying at that time. I was even more surprised by the fact that Shinra was producing monsters."

"Damn, Shinra!" Barret roared, waving his fist. "The more I hear, the more I hate 'em!"

"…Who would have ever thought the Mako Reactor held a secret like that," said Tifa quietly.

Red, who had so far been quiet, suddenly spoke up. "That would seem to explain the increase in the number of monsters recently." He turned to Barret. "I think we should listen carefully to Cloud. Don't you think so Barret?"

"Why you talkin' to me!?" Barret huffed, more to himself than towards the group, but Cloud still heard him. "Hmph! Pokin' his damn nose in where it don't belong!" He turned to Cloud. "Cloud! Why don't you finish that story?"

"Tifa…" began Aeris. "You were waiting outside then?"

"…Yes."

"We returned to Nibelheim," said Cloud. "Sephiroth confined himself at the inn. He didn't even try to talk to me."

"Then all of a sudden he just disappeared, right?" purported Tifa.

"We found him inside the biggest building in Nibelheim," continued Cloud.

"The villagers used to call it Shinra mansion," Tifa explained.

"Long ago, people from Shinra used to live in that mansion…" said Cloud.

* * *

_Cloud had a feeling that Sephiroth was inside the Shinra mansion, so that's where he and Hiro headed next. He said his goodbyes to his Tifa and the other villagers, who wished him well and told him to be careful. Tifa seemed especially worried._

"_I'll be fine," he reassured her. _

_The mansion was dark and sooty, filled with air so thick with dust that it was like wading blindly through a fog. Not even the bright light shining through the huge panels of stained glass behind the once-opulent staircase could brighten the place. _

_Cloud watched Hiro climb the stairs and head into a room on the right-hand side of the mansion._

"_There's no sign of Sephiroth," the soldier began, "but I know I saw him go into this room…"_

_It was a small bedroom, probably used for unimportant guests back in the day that had a partition a third of the way into it. The first part housed a few dusty benches and dated pictures, the latter part furnished with more comfortable luxuries like a bed, some drawers and what probably used to be a grand-looking carpet until it had slowly rotted beneath layers of grime and years of neglect._

_Cloud spotted it first; a part of the wall that had exposed brickwork. There was a slight indentation that was rectangular-shaped set within the bricks. A door thought Cloud. He lightly tapped the bricks and the door sprung open. As he peered through the darkness beyond, he saw that a swirling spiral staircase descended down into the depths of the mansion. He beckoned Hiro to take a look before they both descended into the bowels of the mansion where secrets must have been lying in wait…_

_To be continued…_


	45. A Tortured Specimen

_There was a basement at the bottom of the stairwell. It was rudimentary and sparse with little architectural work, the walls and floor comprised of the purple bedrock that the village of Nibelheim sat on. Chains dangled from the ceiling and a cool breeze was blowing through the narrow room. Cloud could hear a faint voice coming from the other end. It was Sephiroth. Who was he talking to, he wondered?_

_He opened the door at the end of the basement and stepped foot into a dusty library. There was a large wooden desk to his right, its surface taken up with stacks of papers, lamps and strange contraptions that only a scientist could understand. The rest of the vast room was taken up with rows and rows of full bookshelves so high that they touched the ceiling. Cloud had never seen so many books in his entire life._

_Sephiroth was pacing the floor with his head buried in the pages of a book. Cloud backed away so that he was half obscured by the door. He mouthed at Hiro to keep quiet and then listened._

"…_an organism that was apparently dead, was found in a 2000 year old geological stratum. Professor Gast named that organism, Jenova…" _

_He walked towards Cloud and for a moment he was sure he'd get caught, but Sephiroth was glued to the words on the page._

"_X year, X month, X day," droned Sephiroth. "Jenova confirmed to be an Ancient… X year, X month, X day. Jenova project approved. The use of Mako Reactor 1 approved for use…"_

_Sephiroth walked further into the library, stopped halfway and looked up at the ceiling. Cloud could hear him sighing even though there was now a distance between them._

"_My mother's name is Jenova… Jenova Project… is this just a coincidence?"_

_For the very first time, Cloud could hear a tremor in the man's voice. Whatever Sephiroth had read in that book, it had shocked him to the core. _

"_Professor Gast…" he moaned. "Why didn't you tell me anything?" He wiped his face as if swatting away a tear. "…Why did you die?"_

_Cloud had heard enough. He couldn't let Sephiroth suffer from his thoughts any longer. Even though he was a cold-hearted man who prefered to face his demons on his own, Cloud figured he could at least try and help someone in need; even someone like Sephiroth. He approached him from behind._

"_Hey."_

_Without turning, Sephiroth replied in barely a whisper, "Let me be alone."_

* * *

"Sephiroth didn't come out of the Shinra Mansion," Cloud said as the group listened intently. "He continued to read as if he were possessed by something, and not once, did the light in the basement go out…"

* * *

_Cloud and Hiro kept guard in the Shinra Mansion, taking it in turns to keep watch on the secret passage. It was Hiro's turn so Cloud took a nap in the bedroom on the other side of the mansion. _

_He awoke with a start. It was the early hours of the morning and Sephiroth had not yet emerged. _

"_Sephiroth seems different…" said Hiro as Cloud entered the room at the other side._

_He decided he needed to venture down into the library._

"_Wait here," he told Hiro. _

_The soldier nodded. Cloud entered the secret passageway and made his way down the spiral staircase. The hair on the back of his neck bristled. He had a bad feeling about this. When he could hear Sephiroth's howls of maniacal laughter, he knew his feelings were right. Taking a deep breath, Cloud walked through the library and towards Sephiroth._

"_Who is it!?" yelled Sephiroth. He was sitting at a large desk at the back of the library with piles of books stacked high around him. He looked up. His eyes were dark and sunken but so full of hatred. "Hmph… traitor."_

"_Traitor?" asked Cloud, puzzled. _

_Sephiroth stood up and began pacing the room._

"_You ignorant traitor. I'll tell you. This Planet originally belonged to the Cetra." He waved his arms animatedly. "Cetra was an itinerant race. They would migrate in, settle the Planet, then move on. At the end of their hard, harsh journey, they would find the Promised Land and supreme happiness." He looked at Cloud straight in the eyes. Cloud wanted to look away but something in those eyes was drawing him in like a black hole would draw in light. "But, those that disliked the journey appeared. Those who stopped their migrations built shelters and elected to lead an easier life. They took that which the Cetra and the planet had made without giving back one whit in return!" He lowered his voice. "Those are your ancestors."_

_What had happened to him? This wasn't the Sephiroth Cloud knew. He was sharp-minded, cold, meticulous in any mission that came before him and radiated a sense of power that enthralled anyone who worked beneath him. Now he seemed to have aged twenty years overnight into a bitter, twisted man who rambled about everything and nothing, uncaring as to who listened._

"_Sephiroth…" muttered Cloud, keeping his distance. _

"_Long ago, disaster struck this planet," Sephiroth continued. "Your ancestors escaped… they survived because they hid. The Planet was saved by sacrificing the Cetra. After that, your ancestors continued to increase. Now all that's left of the Cetra is in these reports." He gestured towards the stacks of books piled on top of the desk._

"_What does that have to do with you?" Cloud asked._

"_Don't you get it? An Ancient named Jenova was found in the geological stratum of 2000 years ago. The Jenova Project." He took a deep breath. "The Jenova Project wanted to produce people with the powers of the Ancients… no, the Cetra." He walked towards Cloud. "…I am the one that was produced."_

"_Pr… produced!?" gasped Cloud._

"_Yes. Professor Gast, leader of the Jenova Project and genius scientist, produced me."_

_Cloud was struggling to process this new information. _

"_How… how did he…?" he spluttered. _

_But Sephiroth was done talking. He turned and marched through the library, his angry footfalls echoing through the large room. _

"_Se… Sephiroth?" Cloud called._

"_Out of my way," he declared. "I'm going to see my mother."_

_To be continued…_


	46. Lost to the Flames

_Sephiroth stormed out of the library like he was a man possessed. Cloud tried to follow him but he was too fast. He had never seen him like this before and it scared him. _

_Hiro was stood outside the library door dusting off his uniform._

"_He just rushed past me," he said to Cloud._

_They chased Sephiroth through the mansion but he was too far ahead to be seen or even heard. Cloud knew he was a strong man, admired as a warrior and a mage and now it seemed he was adeptly agile too._

_The vast entrance hall of Shinra Mansion looked different when they entered it. It was no longer dark and gloomy. In fact, the whole atmosphere felt brighter as if the hall was basking in the vivid glow of a sunset. That's when Cloud realised that the orange glow filtering through the windows wasn't from the setting sun. Faint shadows and dazzling flares of light danced behind the panes of glass and he could hear distant screams coming from the village._

_Cloud and Hiro glanced at each other and nodded before racing out of the mansion. Searing heat and vicious flames greeted them as they burst through the mansion doors. The whole village had been engulfed in a sea of fire. Nothing had been spared, not even the well. Not even his mother's house…_

"_Hey it's you!"_

_The voice caught him off guard. It was Zangan. He was famed for being the best martial artist in Nibelheim and was the one who taught Tifa all of her moves. He was waving his arms in the air to get Cloud's attention._

"_You're still sane, right?"_

_That could be debatable after what he'd witnessed over the last twenty-four hours. _

"_Then come over here and help me!" Zangan yelled without awaiting a response from Cloud._

_Cloud darted towards the inferno. He could barely see a thing. The fires were spreading from building to building and thick black smoke was billowing upwards so that you could no longer see the sky. He took a large gulp of toxic air and choked as the smoke clung to his lungs. He covered his face with one hand and pressed forwards. _

"_I'll check this house. You check that one over there!" ordered Zangan. _

_That house was his mom's; his too, before he moved away. It was entirely engulfed in flames and the fire was still spreading. He ducked his head and darted through the front door. He could only take a few steps forwards until a wall of flames blocked his path. His mom was in there! He shook with fear and an intense, overwhelming sadness that made his chest feel like it was submerged under a tonne of water, ready to explode from the immense pressure. His mom was dead. He had never felt pain like it. Not even the pain from his burning skin could compare to the pain of losing her._

_He emerged from his mom's house and saw Hiro lying on the ground. His eyes, open but empty, stared into the stony sky. He shook his head, unable to comprehend why Sephiroth would do such a dreadful thing._

"_Terrible…" Cloud muttered to himself. "Sephiroth… this is too terrible…"_

_Cloud saw him up ahead near the Shinra Mansion. Two villagers were up there with him, trying and failing to subdue him. He cut them down with his sword as if their bodies were nothing but holograms. Blood was spilled, too much blood for either of them to have survived. _

_Sephiroth? What have you done? _

_They meant nothing to him. The town, his mother, his friends… he had destroyed everything. Now, Cloud wanted to destroy him… _

_As if sensing Cloud's intense stare, Sephiroth looked him straight in the eyes, and Cloud was sure he could see flames dancing within them. Then he turned on his heels, his black cape twisting as he spun, and walked through the fire as the flames licked his body. He didn't even flinch._

_Cloud darted through the village, weaving in and out of the flames and shielding himself with his sword when the heat became too intense, until he reached the mountains. He had seen Sephiroth just minutes before but now he was nowhere in sight. He expected to at least catch him moving through the narrow mountain passages in the distance._

_The man is not of this world, thought Cloud. No one can walk through flames and travel great distances in minutes. _

_He had known Sephiroth was a league above everyone else. He had watched him in battle, using both his physical prowess and his magical abilities – but this was the first time Cloud had considered that Sephiroth was something completely different than human. _

_Cloud arrived at the Mako Reactor and entered it. He saw Tifa. She was sobbing hysterically, crouched down by her father's side. As Cloud stepped closer, he could see that Tifa was cradling a dead body. His limbs were crooked, his chest still. Pools of blood lay around him._

"_Papa…" she sobbed. Wiping tears from her eyes, her tone changed. "Sephiroth!? Sephiroth did this to you, didn't he!?" She stood up, breathing heavily and clenching her fists as if she was a volcano on the brink of eruption and she was trying to hold everything in. "Sephiroth… SOLDIER… Mako Reactors… Shinra… Everything!" She threw her hands in the air, yelling at the top of her lungs. "I hate them all!"_

_Grabbing the bloodied sword that lay discarded on the floor, she darted into the room where the chambers were stored, and, more importantly, Jenova. If she was going after Sephiroth, he'd surely kill her. His power was immeasurable. Cloud chased after her._

* * *

"_Mother, I'm here to see you. Please, open this door."_

_Tifa held the sword firmly with both hands. It was covered in her father's blood and as she lifted the sword up higher, the blood began to drip onto her hands. She clenched her teeth together and focused on Sephiroth, who was peering into the door at the top of the stairs. He had his back towards her. She took long, deep breaths and focused her energy onto the figure above her. He would pay for what he did. _

"_How could you do that to papa and all the townspeople?"_

_She crept up the stairs, holding the sword steady and upright. Tifa expected Sephiroth to turn around, but he was transfixed on whatever was behind that door. It was only when she was inches behind him that he suddenly turned around. _

_His eyes were steely cold. He grabbed her arm in a swift motion with reflexes that seemed too fast for a human and took the sword from her hands. She looked up as the sword rose high into the air. Everything seemed to go in slow motion. She wanted to run, or fight, or do something; anything to save herself from succumbing to the same fate as her father, but all she could do was wait for the sword to pierce her body. _

_She closed her eyes. An intense pain clawed at her body and suddenly she was falling. She landed with a thud at the bottom of the stairs. When she opened her eyes, she saw Cloud peering down at her. He came. He came for her. But it was too late now. It was too late. A tear rolled down her cheek._

* * *

_Tifa! He saw her lying at the foot of the stairs in a pool of blood. There was an open gash across her stomach. Fresh blood oozed out of the wound, saturating her clothes and turning her white top crimson. Her eyes were half open and she was breathing. Still alive, thought Cloud, breathing a sigh of relief. _

"…_You promised…" she croaked. "You promised that you'd come… when I was in trouble…"_

_He carefully picked her up and carried her to a safe area of the room, propped up against one of the chambers. She closed her eyes. Tifa looked peaceful now. He thought about her taking her last breaths soon. His heart felt heavy and his throat hurt as he pushed back tears. He couldn't think that way. Tifa was a fighter. She couldn't die. Not yet. He glanced at her a final time and then made his way up to the stairs and into the room beyond._

_Jenova's resting place was a high-ceilinged room, built as such to accommodate its occupant. An eerie, angel-like statue loomed above Sephiroth. It was coated in a silvery metal armour that glistened in the dim lighting of the room. Angel wings sprouted from each shoulder, stretching out and tapering upwards like fans. The statue was attached to the ground by a blood-red tube which was itself attached to the statue's torso. Red liquid was being pumped through it, pulsing and throbbing as it oozed upwards in waves. Blood? _

_Sephiroth looked small compared to his 'mother', like he was nothing more than a tiny, insignificant dot. He brought his hands up towards the statue as if to embrace it._

"_Mother, let's take this planet back together. I've thought of a great idea. Let's go to the Promised Land."_

"_Sephiroth…" Cloud mumbled as he stepped closer to him. His chest swelled as the anger took hold. "My family!" he roared. "My hometown! How could you do this to them!?"_

_The deranged man laughed in response. "They've come again, mother." He lowered his voice, his back still turned towards Cloud. "With her superior power, knowledge, and magic, Mother was destined to become the ruler of this Planet. But they… those worthless creatures… are stealing the planet from Mother…" He gracefully climbed towards the statue. "But now I'm here with you… so don't worry."_

_In a true display of his immense power, Sephiroth climbed the tube so that he was face to face with the Jenova statue. He grappled with it for a moment or two and then ripped the statue from its plinth, exposing the true Jenova beneath it. _

_Her skin was milky white but extremely weathered and battle-torn, marbled with veins, fissures and blemishes, showing signs that her life before this one had not been kind to her. A silvery helmet encased a perfectly formed, angelic-looking face, with her name emblazoned on the front. Two thin sheets of metal resembling strands of perfectly combed hair fanned down beside each cheek, whilst tubes of swirling red liquid twisted around her, pulsing and throbbing as if they were veins, pumping her full of a substance that was surely keeping her alive._

_Cloud had never seen anything like her before. Was he dreaming? No. It was all real. He blinked. Hot tears rolled down his cheeks. He wished he was dreaming._

"_What about MY sadness!?" Cloud cried. "My family… friends… the sadness of having my hometown taken away from me!?" He looked up at Sephiroth with wild eyes. "It's the same as your sadness!"_

_Sephiroth chuckled, his shoulders heaving. _

"_My sadness? What do I have to be sad about? I am the chosen one. I have been chosen to be the leader of this Planet. I have orders to take this planet back from you stupid people for the Cetra. What am I supposed to be sad about?"_

_Cloud lowered his head. _

"_Sephiroth… I trusted you…" He raised his sword, gripping it with both hands. "No, you're not the Sephiroth I used to know!"_

_Cloud stared at Sephiroth with fire in his eyes as Sephiroth returned an icy gaze. They stepped slowly towards each other, their swords glimmering in the light as Jenova watched from above._

* * *

"…And that's the end of my story," finished Cloud with a hefty sigh of relief.

"Wait a damn minute!" huffed Barret. "Ain't there more?"

"…I don't remember," replied Cloud.

"What happened to Sephiroth?" asked Aeris.

"In terms of skill, I couldn't have killed him," Cloud stated.

"Official records state Sephiroth is dead," said Tifa. "I read it in the newspaper."

"Shinra owns the paper, so you can't rely on that information," remarked Aeris.

Cloud looked around. All eyes were on him.

"…I want to know the truth," he exclaimed. "I want to know what happened then. I challenged Sephiroth and lived. Why didn't he kill me?"

"…I'm alive, too," Tifa added.

Cloud couldn't express how grateful he was that Tifa was here now. He hated to admit it, but the emotions that he still had within him, though carefully hidden, stirred painfully whenever he thought about a life without his one childhood friend. She was only fifteen at the time. Too young to die. Even now, in their twenties and beyond, already battle-weary and toughened up due to war and Shinra's treatment of the people, death seemed like a far-cry. They all had their own stories to tell and their own beliefs to fight for.

"Seems like a lot of this doesn't make sense," Aeris said. "What about Jenova? It was in the Shinra building, right?"

"Shinra shipped it from Nibelheim to Midgar," Cloud confirmed.

"Did someone else carry it out after that?" Aeris enquired. "It was missing from the Shinra building."

"Sephiroth…?" muttered Tifa as she stared at her feet.

"Damn!" bellowed Barret, throwing his arms into the air. "Don't none of this make sense! I'm going, going, going, gone! And I'm leavin' the thinkin' to you!"

He stomped to the top of the stairs and turned to the group.

"Yo, Cloud! Let's get a move on!"

"Right," replied Cloud.

For a man in his thirties, he had the excitement of a teenager who had just discovered the big bad world for the first time.

"Yo, c'mon let's go!" he exclaimed when the group didn't move as fast as he'd like them to.

And with that, he flew down the steps, his huge foot-falls echoing through the room.

"Oh brother…" Cloud huffed, shaking his head.

"Cloud…?" called Tifa.

He turned towards her.

"How bad was I when Sephiroth cut me?"

He hung his head. His nose and eyes stung as tears formed, but the tears never came.

"I thought you were a goner… I was really sad."

A heavy silence filled the room. All that could be heard was the sounds of Tifa shuffling her feet, Red's claws tapping on the floor and Cloud's own heartbeat as it thrummed in his ears.

"I…" began Aeris. Her voice was heavy with pent-up emotion. Cloud could sense it. "The Ancients… Cetra… Jenova… Sephiroth and myself…"

Everyone waited for her to continue, but Aeris became silent.

"Let's go," Tifa ordered. "Barret's waiting."

"What a fascinating story…" Red murmured to himself as they left the room.

_To be continued…_


	47. Choco Chums

They met Barret downstairs who was pacing up and down the room like a bored child. As the group chatted amongst themselves about their next move, Cloud noticed that he was holding something in his hand – a gleaming plastic object of some sort that looked similar to a phone.

"Yo, Cloud," Barret said, beckoning him over. "Here."

He passed the device to Cloud. It was light as a feather with intermittent lights flashing on its left-hand side.

"The PHS will put us in constant contact with each other," Red piped up, answering for Barret.

"Awright then, we're outta here," Barret declared, cutting off the canine before he could go into great detail about their newest piece of equipment.

They left Kalm and began trekking through the twisting valleys, steep hills and vast plains of the continent. The verdant landscape stretched out in front of them as a refreshing sea breeze from the nearby ocean cooled their skin from the hot sun above them.

There was a small farm directly in front of them. A mountain range sat at its right-hand side with a boggy marsh spreading out beneath it. Cloud insisted to the group that they had no need to visit the farm so they bypassed it, deciding instead to head towards the mountains.

The peaks were high, stretching up towards the sky, and the range seemed to span for miles, as if forming the continent's backbone. If memory served him correctly, there should be a way through the mountains. That's when they saw the cave. The only problem was that the cave opened up behind the marshland. Traversing through boggy grass wasn't a problem in itself; it was what lurked within the murky waters that was the problem.

Tifa spotted it first.

"Look, Cloud!" she gasped, pointing to the huge snake-like shadow darting beneath the water. Whatever the creature was, it looked ferocious, deadly and extremely fast, cutting through the water with ease.

They decided to rethink their plans and made their way to the farm instead. They would rest there and possibly find answers on what to do about getting to the other side of the mountain.

The farm was idyllic and quaint filled with small, grassy paddocks full of chirpy Chocobo's who seemed very excited to see new faces, and old-fashioned buildings and barns with weathered brick roofs and faded wooden walls. The farmhouse sat at the left-hand side and that's where the group decided to head first.

An elderly man was standing in the kitchen. He saw the guests and smiled warmly, introducing himself as Choco Bill. Good old-fashioned hospitality. It was a rarity back in Midgar.

"Thinking of crossing the marshes?"

"Yeah," replied Cloud.

"Hmm, then it'll probably be safer for you to get a Chocobo. That way you can zip through the marshes with the Chocobo. It's the only way to avoid being attacked by the Midgar Zolom."

"Midgar Zolom?" asked Cloud. So that's what it was called. It sounded terrifying.

"It's a serpent-like creature over 30 feet tall!" exclaimed Choco Bill. "It picks up on footsteps that enter the marshes… and then, BAM! It attacks!" He gesticulated wildly with his arms. His eyes grew wider the more he talked. If Choco Bill's intentions were to scare the group into buying his Chocobo's then it was working. "To avoid that, buy a Chocobo at the Choco Bill and Choco Billy Chocobo Farm."

Ah, thought Cloud. A sales pitch. Everyone had to make a living though, he guessed.

"To purchase a Chocobo," he continued, please talk to my grandson. He's in the Chocobo stables at the far right end of the farm."

The group left the farmhouse and entered the stables. It smelled of hay and Chocobo poop yet it wasn't unpleasant. In fact, Cloud liked how natural it smelled. You never got natural smells back in Midgar. Everything was tinged with the synthetic smell of metal and machinery because essentially that's what Midgar was; a huge metal structure full of decay and despair – unless you were living on the top of the plate that was. Still, Cloud thought with a smile, it didn't beat breathing in the natural, full-bodied smell of Chocobo poop. He shook his head. Was he losing his mind? He must have been.

"Do you want a Chocobo?" asked a teenaged boy called Choco Billy.

This must be Choco Bill's grandson, thought Cloud, feeling amused at the closeness of their names.

"Yeah," Cloud replied. "Will you give us one?"

"You old folks are out of luck!"

"Old folks…?" Cloud muttered, shaking his head. He must have only been a few years older than the little punk.

"We're all out of Chocobos. I'm taking care of the ones out there for someone else," the teenager explained. "You know, if you really want a Chocobo, you should go out and catch one. Want to know how to catch a Chocobo?"

"Where are they?"

"You see those claw prints out there? Wild Chocobo's will appear in those areas. But, if you don't have Chocobo Lure they won't come out. They are very cautious animals by nature."

"Chocobo Lure?" asked Cloud.

"Chocobo Lure is a type of materia which attracts Chocobo's," Choco Billy explained. "If you equip this, they'll come to you. But, without it, they won't appear. Want to know how to catch a Chocobo?"

Cloud had never ridden a Chocobo in his life. He was clueless. Even though he needed all the information he could get, Cloud was growing bored of the conversation already. This boy really liked to talk.

"How do I catch one?" asked Cloud, bracing himself for the in-depth tutorial that was sure to follow.

"A wild Chocobo always appear with other monsters. But, you won't be able to catch it because of the monsters. That is why you must defeat the monsters first before you catch the Chocobo."

_That all you can talk about? _Thought Cloud before composing himself.

"And then?" he said as he tried to keep his face neutral.

"Also, wild Chocobo's are really cautious. They'll run away from the slightest things. But, if you use Greens they'll focus on that, and won't run away."

Cloud was just about to ask what Greens were (he guessed some kind of plant) but he was cut off by the talkative teen.

"Whatever you do, don't make Chocobos angry. They're usually calm, but if you get them angry, you'll get hurt. Oh, and remember, once you get off a Chocobo, it'll escape."

Escape. Kind of like what Cloud wanted to do now. He was literally being talked to death. He noticed that the others had all abandoned him. He caught Tifa and Aeris checking out some Chocobo's at the back of stables. Barret was stood just outside the stable doors staring up at the sky and whistling a funny tune. He didn't know where Red was or what he was doing. He was an enigma, that one.

"Well then, shall we get down to business?" asked the chirpy teen rubbing his hands together. "I'll sell you the Chocobo Lure for 2000 gil, right now. You want it?"

"Yeah, okay," replied Cloud.

He was usually quite frugal but he figured that they'd need to hand over more than a few coins on this journey, especially if meant finding Sephiroth faster. He had to do what needed to be done. At least his pockets were a bit lighter now.

"Thanks!" he said as Cloud handed the bag of gil to him. "It wouldn't hurt to buy some Greens either. Oh, and how fast a Chocobo'll finish eating depends on what type of Greens you feed them."

So that's what Greens were, Cloud thought.

Choco Billy signalled for Cloud to wait right there while he walked over to a small desk and started rummaging through the drawers. He came back carrying a small box that was filled with little bunches of Greens in all different shapes, sizes and various shades of green; hence the name.

The prices were startlingly different. He noticed that two types were considerably more expensive than the others – Mimett Greens and Curiel Greens, and at over 1000 gil per bunch, Cloud figured they would be the best ones to buy, so he bought as many as he could comfortably afford. After all, they would need to catch a few Chocobo's if they were all hoping to get across the marshes.

Cloud gathered the team and they set off to the nearest set of Chocobo tracks. It didn't take long to spot their first one. It was grazing on the grass as two monsters trailed behind it. Tifa threw a Curiel Green its way. Its interest was piqued and it scoffed the Greens like it had never tasted anything so delicious in all of its life.

Cloud and Barret dispatched the two monsters. As they fell, the Chocobo looked up and cried out, before pecking at the remnants of the Greens. This was Cloud's opportunity. He flung himself onto the Chocobo's back. It kicked and thrashed about, but soon calmed down when it realised that Cloud was no threat.

"Hey there, big fella," cooed Cloud, feeling his cheeks flush. He had never spoken to anyone like that before, let alone a Chocobo. Still, he'd rather sweet-talk a bird than get killed by a giant serpent. Sometimes you had to throw all your dignity out the window if you wanted to succeed at something, and this was one of those moments.

It was a tense few moments, and kind of weird, too, but soon they had each mounted their own Chocobo. Tifa and Aeris shared, whilst Barret and Red mounted their own. Cloud had to chuckle. Barret's Chocobo must have been built like steel for being able to stand up tall, let alone run, with the strain of carrying a brute like Barret. He had also never seen a canine riding a bird before. What other strange surprises would this journey bring, he wondered?

They rode off in the direction of the marshland, towards the next step of their journey.

_To be continued…_


	48. Lurking Beneath the Depths

Lined up in front of the marshland, the group surveyed their surroundings and thought of their next move. It stretched out in front of them like a vast ocean, looking a lot bigger than they had previously thought.

The Midgar Zolom was nowhere to be seen. It was most likely lurking just under the depths, ready to strike at the first sign of movement. They had to be fast.

Cloud glanced down at his feathery steed. He had never relied on a wild animal before. It was still and poised, occasionally ruffling its feathers. It appeared reliable. The other Chocobo's also seemed reliable. He crossed his fingers and hoped for the best.

"Everyone ready?" he called out. They all nodded. "Then, let's go!" he demanded before the group took the plunge and headed out into the marshland.

They whizzed through the boggy grass and shallow waters with ease. Cloud could feel the warm, humid air wash over his skin as the Chocobo zig-zagged through the marshland. It was hard to believe that a huge monster lurked beneath the depths. It would be easy to let your guard down.

He glanced around him to check on his comrades. Tifa and Aeris were clinging onto their steed for dear life whilst Barret had let his arms thrash around in the air like he was riding a roller-coaster. Red took the rear and was silent, his fur whipping up around his face.

Suddenly, a huge, scaly face with steely black eyes and a gaping, fanged mouth sprang out of the water directly in front of him. It rose high into the air, revealing a long, thin body. It swayed powerfully yet rhythmically as if doing so would mesmerise its prey so that it could go in for the kill, and lunged towards Cloud in a single move. It roared, sending soundwaves through the air so strong that Cloud could almost see them dancing through the moist, heavy air.

He felt the momentum of the Chocobo pulling sharply back and darting to its left, causing him to put his head down and cling onto the back of the bird's neck. He hoped the others were okay, but he couldn't look; the G-force was too strong and was pulling down on his neck and shoulders. It felt like an eternity but he battled through, eventually feeling the clutches of gravity loosen its grip. When he looked up, Cloud had already reached the other side.

He leapt off his Chocobo and glanced behind him. The others had just made it. Once they were back on solid ground, they discussed their next move.

"Everyone alright?" Cloud asked.

"Yeah," replied Aeris, dusting herself off.

"That was a close one," Tifa huffed.

"I can remember someone saying that this cave goes right through to the other side," Cloud began once he was able to catch his breath. "You know, I think it might have been Sephiroth who told me." He laughed at the irony of it. "Anyway, let's check our equipment and press on."

The cave was a cold, dark warren of twisting tunnels full of ghoulish monsters that looked grotesque and deformed, probably caused by the absence of fresh air and natural light that their subterranean conditions lacked. They were easy to defeat, but the sheer number of them was tedious and tiring.

Rounding a corner, Cloud spotted a monster of a different kind. Rude, the black, shiny-headed Turk they had briefly met in the Shinra building was stood in front of them. He was poised like a statue, his arms folded neatly in front of him.

"Just a second!" yelled the Turk as he glared at them.

"Who are you?" asked Tifa.

"Do you know who I am?" Rude asked, ignoring Tifa and looking Cloud straight in the eyes.

"From the Turks, right?" asked Cloud, hypothetically. He already knew the answer. Once you met a Turk, you never forgot them, even if the meeting was brief. They had that effect on people.

"Well if you know, then this won't take long," Rude replied. "It's difficult to explain what the Turks do…"

"Kidnapping, right?" Cloud quipped, quick as a flash.

Rude stared at the floor for a moment and rubbed his foot against the rocky ground as he prepared his counter-argument. The man looked jarred as if he was not used to hearing people's criticisms, especially when it was about his work.

"To put it negatively…" he began, "you could say that… but, that's not all there is to it, anymore."

His voice faltered as a heavy silence draped over the cavern. Cloud could feel the awkwardness rising like steam from Rude as he tried, but failed, to compose himself. He watched as the Turk brushed down his suit and tugged at his cuff-links. He cleared his throat and looked anxiously towards the group before shooting a nervous glance towards a cliff that was jutting from the right-hand side of the wall.

Cloud followed Rude's glance and saw a young woman in a navy trouser-suit sporting blonde hair in a neat little bob. Her features were sharp and focused for someone so young.

"Sir!" she called out, relieving Rude of his awkward moment. "It's all right, Rude! I know you don't like speeches, so don't force it!"

Rude cleared his throat and looked down at the floor again. "…Then Elena, explain."

"I'm the newest member of the Turks, Elena," she told the group. Her eyes turned to slits. She did not look happy. "Thanks to what you did to Reno, we're short of people." She turned slightly and muttered something under her breath. Cloud thought he heard her saying something about a promotion. Cloud rolled his eyes. The Turks were a career-orientated bunch that was for sure. She turned to the group and continued. "In any case, our job is to find out where Sephiroth is headed." She grinned, showing off perfect white teeth. "And to try and stop you every step of the way." Elena shuffled on her feet. "Wait a minute, it's the other way around… you're the ones who are getting in our way."

Wow, this girl really likes to talk, thought Cloud.

Just then, footsteps echoed through the cavern. A second later, the sharp-looking man with the slick, black hair and dark suit walked around the corner from the left-hand side. What was his name again? Tseng? Cloud was getting fed up of the Turks already. He likened them to a swarm of flies that just wouldn't go away no matter how many times you swatted them.

"…Elena," he snapped. "You talk too much."

Cloud stifled a small giggle. At least he and Tseng agreed on _something_…

Rude jumped. Elena squealed like she'd just been attacked by the Midgar Zolom.

"Mr. Tseng!?" she cried, clutching her mouth with both hands.

"No need to tell them about our orders," he stiffly reminded his team.

Elena bowed her head. "Sorry… Tseng," she mumbled. Cloud noted how insincere it sounded.

"I thought I gave you other orders," continued Tseng, ignoring Elena's half-hearted attempt at an apology. "Now go. Don't forget to file your report."

"Oh! Right!" yelled Elena. She quickly composed herself and continued. "Very well, Rude and I will go after Sephiroth, who's heading for Junon Harbour!"

Cloud smiled inwardly. Thanks, Elena, for giving away your team's most important information. So that's where he was headed…

"…Elena," huffed Tseng, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. "You don't seem to understand."

Her face flushed when she realised her mistake. "Oh! I'm, I'm sorry…"

Tseng pursed his lips. A vein popped up on the right-hand side of his forehead. "…Go. Don't let Sephiroth get away."

"Yes sir!" bellowed both Rude and Elena in unison.

As they left, Rude turned to Cloud and his group one last time. "…Reno said he wanted to see you after the injuries you gave him healed. He wants to show his affection for you all… with a new weapon." And with that, Rude left.

Only Tseng remained. He gazed at the group stood before him.

"Well, then…" he began, before spotting Aeris in the throng. "Aeris… long time no see. Looks like you got away from the Shinra for a while, now that Sephiroth reappeared."

"…So what are you saying?" spat Aeris. "That I should be grateful to Sephiroth?"

"No…" Tseng replied. "Well, I won't be seeing too much of you, so take care." His voice dripped with false concern.

"…Strange, hearing that from you," Aeris answered back.

"Well then, stay out of Shinra's way," he hissed threateningly.

He turned on his heel and left. Once the coast was clear and the Turks had scattered off into the distance, Cloud and the others headed for the exit.

_To be continued…_


	49. Friendly Fight

Cloud surveyed their surroundings. The area was green and flat and dotted with small forests, except for a barren mound in front of them that protruded from the ground. On top of the mound stood a grand, turquoise-coloured edifice that was an unusual and astonishing sight in many ways. Its colour and structure were magnificent in themselves but the grandest of all was the huge golden bird sat atop it, its sheer size overpowering its perch. Golden feathers blew gently in the breeze. Every now and again, the bird would make eye-contact with the group and then look away, as if it was discreetly trying to get the measure of them.

"Must be Fort Condor," said Cloud. "She probably has her eggs there. That's why she's cautious."

He had heard about the magical condors from passers-by and their little snippets of conversation, mainly from the people of Midgar – people who could only dream of seeing a condor in person.

"Shall we visit?" asked Tifa.

"We might be able to find out a few things," Aeris said, yawning. "And perhaps rest for a while."

"I guess so," Cloud agreed. "It would be nice to see the fort for myself anyway."

There was little else to do or see in the vicinity so they headed towards the fort. They walked for a short while and every now and then Cloud was sure he could hear something shuffling through the grass behind them, but every time he turned his head there was nothing but open, sprawling plains.

"Strange…" Cloud mumbled to himself.

Suddenly, a teenage girl ambushed them from behind. She was stronger and stealthier than any monster they had encountered on the field so far.

Cloud twisted around on the spot and glanced quickly towards her as he withdrew his weapon. She was small and slightly with a boyish frame, wearing a khaki-coloured crop top and brown shorts. The girl was armoured and held a large shuriken in her hands which gave Cloud reason to believe that she fought for a living. Her dark hair was short, her fringe framing a mischievous face. The girl couldn't have been any older than sixteen.

Suddenly, her shuriken flew from her hands, heading towards the group with pin-point accuracy. It cut past Cloud's chest sending rivulets of blood into the air. He cried out in pain as Aeris threw a cure his way.

"Take THAT!" she shrieked at Cloud, catching the shuriken as it arced its way back towards her.

She caught it with a swift hand and was about to unleash the weapon again when Cloud got in before her with a counter-attack. She was an agile fighter, but so was he. His sword struck her across the midriff, knocking her off balance, causing her to careen through the air backwards and land on her butt. She howled in pain, gritted her teeth and leapt up again. Tifa unleashed a fire spell at her and she dropped to the floor a second time, seemingly ready to accept defeat, albeit ungracefully.

"Man…" she huffed, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "I can't believe I lost…"

She shot up onto her feet and adopted a fighting stance, once breathless and a moment later full of energy again. If they could get her on their side she could actually be a good ally.

"You spikey-headed jerk!" she yelled as she waved her fists in the air. "One more time, let's go one more time!"

"No," Cloud responded.

She stared him down. When he wouldn't falter, she turned to Tifa and Aeris, her fists pummelling the air.

"Thinkin' of running away?" she snapped. "Stay and fight! FIGHT, I said!"

Why? So she could get her ass beaten again, thought Cloud? This girl seemed to have a lot of pent up aggression. The idea of the little punk being an advantage to the team flashed through his mind again. But then again, she also seemed like the annoying type. He already had enough with Barret, let alone someone else. Perhaps not then, he thought.

"Cmon… what's the matter?" She grinned mischievously. "You're pretty scared of me, huh!?"

"…Petrified," replied Cloud, sarcastically. He rolled his eyes for good measure. She had no idea who she was dealing with. He admired her tenacity, though.

"Hmm, just as I thought," she replied smugly. "What do you expect with my skills?" The sarcasm was lost on her. She seemed pretty naïve. "Good luck to you guys too. If you feel up to it, we can go another round." She waved a hand in the air. "Later!"

She skipped away before turning around to face the group. Her hands were gripped firmly to her hips and her right foot tapped the ground. Cloud groaned inwardly. Naïve, immature, annoying… those seemed to be the first three words that sprang to mind when he thought of her.

"I'm really gonna leave!" she yelled. "REALLY!" she shrieked even louder when she didn't get the desired response.

"Wait a second," Cloud said as he walked towards her.

Stealthy, fierce, strong… those words also seemed to describe the young girl perfectly. He couldn't deny that she would be a great asset to the team, even though he knew their personalities would clash. He thought the same way about Barret; still did in fact, but the guy was growing on him too. He was brilliant in combat. Cloud didn't know where he'd be without him. Everyone had their own qualities to bring to the group, and the girl standing in front of him was no exception.

"What is it, you still have somethin' for me?" she asked. Cloud's expression didn't falter. "Hmm… So is that it? I know you want my help because I'm so good!" Cloud made a mental note to add cocky to the girl's attributes. "You want me to go with you?" she continued. She also liked to talk. A lot. Talkative people seemed to be attracted to him, Cloud thought. Why was that?

"That's right…" Cloud replied, even though part of him was regretting the decision already.

The girl giggled. "Thought so. You put me in a tight spot." She looked around as if garnering support from her surroundings. "Hmm, what should I do? But if you want me that bad, I can't refuse…" She glanced up towards the bright sky this time as if it inspired her. "All right! I'll go with you!"

"Okay," Cloud replied. "…Let's hurry on."

Cloud, Tifa and Aeris turned and left, leaving the girl standing there all alone.

"Huh? Hey… HEY! Wait! I haven't even told you my name… I'm Yuffie! Good to meetcha!"

They continued on. Neither Tifa nor Aeris said much, but if they felt the same way Cloud did, they would understand that Yuffie would have to go at their pace, whether she liked it or not. This was their journey, not hers.

"Hey, wait up!" the teenager called out, frantically darting after them. "Wait for me!"

_To be continued… _


	50. A Work of Nature

The condor looked a lot bigger the closer they got to the fort. Cloud could hear its huge feathers rustling in the breeze and the soft sounds it made as it gently breathed. It didn't seem alarmed at the group's presence. In fact, it looked content. Condors had always been known to hold magical qualities and he wondered if this condor knew that they posed no threat. Would the bird be so placid with the Shinra, Cloud wondered?

A man was standing at the foot of the fort. He had dark olive skin and wore simple grey overalls and white straps around his wrists and head. His face was wrinkled yet also warm and kind, giving Cloud the impression that the guy had a good heart.

"We've been fighting the Shinra for a long time at this battlefield," he told the group matter-of-factly.

Cloud felt his face flush as a sudden wave of anger hit him. He might have guessed that the Shinra would have been here. The nonchalance in the man's voice told Cloud that the unwelcome visits were a completely normal thing. What did she Shinra want with the fort, he wondered?

"Even now, we're still settled in for a long war with them." He looked at the group with heavy eyes. "If you aren't in a hurry, would you help us fight them?" He looked at his feet for a moment before returning his gaze. "Listen, we don't want to push you but, if you're in the middle of something, why don't you finish that first?"

"Where is Junon?" asked Cloud.

Aeris coughed, striding past Cloud until she was face to face with the man.

"Sorry, excuse me," she began. "What my friend is trying to say is that we're a little busy right now and need to find the harbour, but we would gladly like to help out otherwise."

She was too polite, thought Cloud, shaking his head. Then again, perhaps he could learn a thing or two from her.

"Yeah. Sorry 'bout that," Cloud mumbled.

"Let's see…" began the man as he looked up towards the sky with one eye closed, seemingly trying to picture the route to the harbour in his head. "Head north along the coast, and keep going for a ways and you'll run into Junon. You gotta be careful 'cause it sits in the shadows of a small hill."

They thanked the man and entered the small village that was enclosed inside the mountain via a thin rope.

The village of Fort Condor was basic inside. Each room had been carved out of the rock and was sparsely furnished. Even though the village had a rudimentary look to it, it also had a warm and welcoming atmosphere. They used the wood from the surrounding forests for their furniture and sculpted utilities from the mountain itself. Its people were naturalists. They believed in harnessing the power of Gaia and living solely from its resources.

Villagers were flitting about doing their chores whilst others were huddled in groups and chatting amongst themselves. Cloud noticed a man sitting at a desk pouring over the pages of a book. He seemed like a scholarly type of man wearing glasses and sporting a long, grey beard. The group walked over to him, eager to try and garner some information from him.

"Hmm, now this is something," he began, "I never thought anyone would ever climb up here." He peered into Cloud's eyes. "…Your eyes are different. Well, anyhow. Any minute now, this will be a battlefield against Shinra. You'd better get down before you get involved."

"Shinra?" asked Tifa. "You mean THE Shinra?"

"What do you mean, 'a battlefield'?" enquired Aeris.

The man studied the group with sharp eyes.

"It appears you have a problem with Shinra, too," he said. "After all, you climbed up here. Why not listen to what I have to say for a moment?"

"Go on," Cloud urged.

"Do you know what's at the top of this mountain?"

"A huge bird," Aeris replied.

"The reactor and the condor," Cloud clarified.

"That's right, on that mountain is a condor and a reactor," the man explained. "It seems the Shinra doesn't like the idea of having a condor on top of the reactor."

"What's so wrong with having a condor on top of the reactor?" Tifa asked.

He studied the group closely before answering. Satisfied that they were all listening, he continued with his speech.

"It seems there's some type of special materia in the reactor above us. And because the condors came, the Shinra rushed troops here. The military wants to get the condor and all the villagers off this mountain. The condors are now warming their eggs, which hatch only once every few years. We would like to protect the condors from being harmed."

"New lives…" mused Cloud.

"Condors' eggs are a real work of nature," said Tifa. "We've got to protect the life of the planet."

"We must protect the condor eggs, right?" Aeris said.

"Unfortunately, we don't have the ability to fight Shinra ourselves. That's why we have hired soldiers to help us. As our sponsor you can help us with a contribution or by fighting alongside us… What do you think? You want to join us in our fight?"

A heavy silence filled the room. As much as it pained him, they had to find Sephiroth first. Cloud knew the disgraced mercenary on a personal level and the things that he was capable of. He was a dangerous, deranged and extremely clever man who had killed the President and countless other Shinra workers, had ripped Jenova out of the machine that was keeping it alive and was now planning something catastrophic against the very world that supported humanity. Cloud could feel it in his bones.

"I'm sorry… we can't," Cloud muttered.

"Cloud…" murmured Tifa. "Please?"

"What is it, Cloud?" Aeris asked.

"It's Sephiroth… he's planning something big. We need to stop him first or there might not be any Fort Condor to save… or the planet for that matter."

"Why don't we make a contribution then?" asked Tifa.

"We'd still be helping," Aeris added with a smile.

That was true, thought Cloud as he rummaged around his pockets and backpack for any loose gil that he didn't need to hold onto. Before long, they were able to give the old man a sack brimming with gil and various types of potions and elixirs. It was heavy too, and would definitely help the planet and the condors a little while longer.

"I am so very grateful," he said with a smile as he took the backpack from Cloud. "Please feel free to use our beds."

They took the old man up on his offer and napped for an hour before setting off towards Junon.

_To be continued… _


	51. Life Saver

They reached Junon in a little under two hours. The sun was now beginning to dip down in the sky, but the day was still bright and hot. The brightness, however, did nothing to the sleepy, run-down fishing village that was sprawled out in front of them.

It was a dark and dreary place huddled beneath the shadows of a huge, rusted cannon that completely obscured the sun. A few ramshackle buildings dotted the area, their paintwork old and crumbling. None of the houses looked like they had been renovated. The villager's seemed to not give a damn about the village in which they called home. Perhaps they'd care more if that awful cannon wasn't bearing down on them. Cloud glanced up towards the metal beast. It reminded him of the plate above lower Midgar. He could even see the outlines of a city up there and wondered if it was as dreary as this place was.

"What happened to this town?" he mumbled, trying to take in his dire surroundings. "It's so run-down…"

An elderly man dressed in a bright purple robe ambled over to them with his hands behind his back. Even though he lived in such a dismal place, his smile was warm and positive, his wrinkled eyes shining brightly.

"Wow, now this is rare," he began, eying the group up and down. "We almost never have anyone other than the Shinra people visit this town."

So the Shinra were here too. They were everywhere. It seemed nowhere on this planet was free from them. They were like a scourge, spreading doom and decay everywhere they went.

Cloud and the others headed towards the beach. Slivers of sunlight bore down on the sand, giving the place a brighter feel than the village, but it still bore an air of grunginess to it, as though the water had been polluted. A girl was standing at the shore, calling to a dolphin that was frolicking joyfully in the water.

"He-y!" she called. "Mr. Dolphin!"

The dolphin leapt from the water and rolled along the surface in a dramatic display.

"My name is… Pri-scil-la!" called the buoyant girl. "Now you say it."

The dolphin chirped out a response just as Priscilla turned around to face Cloud and the others. She wore a concerned expression on her face and shuffled backwards a metre or two.

"Who are you guys?" she asked, defensively. "Are you members of the Shinra?"

"No you're wrong!" Aeris blurted out. "We have nothing to do with the Shinra."

Cloud nodded. "…That's how it is," he said.

Priscilla slammed a foot into the sand sending plumes into the air.

"I don't believe you!" she snapped. "Get out of here!"

Cloud scratched his head. "Great…" he muttered. Did they look that suspicious?

"Look at that!" Tifa suddenly bellowed as she stared at a dark mass rising out of the water. As the beast rose and advanced towards the beach, Cloud could see more of its form. It was a scaly, green monstrosity with huge, wing-like fins and a grotesque face with jellied, bulging eyes that seemed to be constantly scanning its prey. It quickly lunged for the dolphin but it was too agile and swam off into the distance.

"Be careful, Mr. Dolphin!" warned Priscilla before dashing into the ocean to battle the beast head-on.

This wasn't going to end well for the girl, Cloud thought. And he was right. One moment she was upright, the next she was lay face-down in the water. The monster saw an easy target, quickly going in for the kill. If they didn't act now, Priscilla would be dead.

"Hey!" Cloud yelled. "Hold on, we're coming!"

Cloud and Tifa lunged for the beast while Aeris and Yuffie stood back. Aeris was poised with her healing spells while the young ninja attacked the beast with her shuriken. The hideous monster countered the team's advances with a vicious attack of its own, summoning a huge, devastating tidal wave that knocked everyone off their feet.

The acrid taste of salt danced on Cloud's tongue and made his nose and eyes sting. Glancing into the water, he saw Priscilla, who was now but a murky shadow lying motionless on the ocean floor, her limbs flailing outwards. This was not good. Not good at all.

Tifa was by his side and had already managed to scramble to her feet.

"Grab the girl!" Cloud yelled. "I'll deal with this thing!"

She nodded defiantly and swam to the ocean floor to grab Priscilla while Cloud unleashed his limit break, slashing at the beast with his blade. It rose into the air, let out an anguished scream and belly-flopped into the water, causing the surface to ripple.

Cloud scrambled towards the beach. Tifa had managed to pull Priscilla out of the water and lay her down on the sand. She didn't appear to be breathing. Aeris was leant over her, casting a steady stream of healing spells towards the lifeless girl, but Priscilla remained still.

"This is bad…" Tifa gasped. "You don't think she's dead, do you?"

"Priscilla!"

An elderly man rushed towards them. He fell to his knees, placing a hand on Priscilla's chest.

"Nope… she's not breathing…" he groaned, his voice quivering like he was trying to suppress a sob.

He turned to Cloud. His eyes were wet with tears but they also shone with hope.

"Hey, that's it!" he cried, not taking his eyes off Cloud. "Young man, CPR, now!"

Cloud's heart did somersaults.

"Mouth to mouth!?" he yelled.

He had never given CPR in his whole life. He didn't know what to do, or even where to start. He eyed the girl up and down as if doing so would magically bring her back to life, but she remained still.

"Cloud, hurry!" cried Aeris.

"But… she's just a girl…" Cloud muttered.

"Cloud, what are you going to do?" asked Tifa, her hands resting on her hips.

"Yeah, Cloud!" Yuffie reiterated.

The old man stood before Cloud and gave him a stern look.

"What? You don't know how? Come over here, I'll show you."

Cloud followed the man to Priscilla's side and leant over her.

"Guess I gotta do it," Cloud said to himself. She was just a girl after all. She had her whole life ahead of her.

"Just take a deep breath, hold it in. Then breathe into her," explained the old man. "Hurry up and do it!"

Cloud didn't have to be told twice. He leant beside the girl, breathed in as deeply as he could and pressed his lips against hers. They were still warm and tasted of salt. He exhaled slowly but forcefully into her slightly opened mouth but Priscilla remained lifeless. He continued with the CPR, aware that everyone was staring at him. Their eyes were piercing like daggers, their breaths bated. He could feel the unease in the air. Cloud shook his head and looked down at Priscilla's face. She was just a little girl. Losing her was not an option.

Suddenly, Priscilla opened her eyes. She spluttered and coughed, her chest rising and falling rapidly. She was alive. Cloud had never felt so relieved.

"Hey, hey!" boomed the old man, cupping Priscilla in his arms. "Priscilla, are you alright?"

The girl murmured and rapidly blinked her eyes as if she was rousing from a deep sleep. She looked shaken but otherwise unharmed. And she was alive; that's what mattered.

The old man quickly thanked the group before picking Priscilla up in his arms and scurrying back to the village.

"You were amazing, Cloud," Tifa gasped.

"It was nothing," he replied, dismissing the compliment. He was no hero; just an ordinary guy who happened to have a violent, military past.

"But you saved her life!" Yuffie beamed, flashing him a wide smile.

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Aeris added, throwing Cloud a concerned look.

"Let's head back to the village," Cloud urged, "and figure out our next move. We should contact the others too, let them know we're here."

"Right," Tifa said with a nod. "Let's go then."

Cloud glanced behind him one last time. The ocean was calm once more, the dolphin that Priscilla had befriended dashing about on the surface. This was already turning into one hectic adventure. He wondered what else lay in store for them as they quietly walked back to the village.

_To be continued…_


	52. The Voice

"Hey, come in for a while."

It was the man dressed in the colourful robe from earlier. He was standing at the foot of one of the buildings. They followed him inside. Its atmosphere was warmer than it was out there, with cobbled floors and rich-coloured wooden furniture. A round table stood in the centre and something delicious-smelling was simmering on the hob in the kitchen.

"I heard what happened," he said to the group. "You've done so much for Priscilla. You all must be tired." He pointed towards four beds lined against the left wall. "If you want to get some rest, stay here."

He ambled towards the front door and then turned back to Cloud and the others.

"Make yourself at home."

The old man left the house, leaving them alone.

"Want to rest?" asked Aeris.

"Yeah, let's take a breather," Cloud replied.

The bed was comfortable, soft and bouncy. He fluffed the downy pillows and lay his head on them. It didn't take him long to fall asleep.

"…_That reminds me,"_ drifted a strange voice as he slept. It was a manly voice, similar to his but different somehow. Who was this guy, he wondered?

"You again?" he asked. "…Who are you?"

"…_You'll find out soon… but more importantly, 5 years ago…"_

"5 years ago… Nibelheim?"

"_When you went to Mt. Nibel then, Tifa was your guide, right?" _asked the disembodied voice.

"Yeah… I was surprised."

"_But where was Tifa other than that?" _

"…I dunno," Cloud replied.

"_It was a great chance for you two to see each other again."_

"…You're right."

"_Why couldn't you see each other alone?"_

"…I don't know," Cloud repeated. "I can't remember clearly…"

"_Why don't you try asking Tifa?"_

"…Yeah."

"_Then, get up!"_ the voice suddenly yelled, sending Cloud's heart racing.

"Hey wake up! Wake up, Cloud!"

He woke with a start. The bright light from the overhead lamp dazzled him, causing him to squint. As his eyes focused, he could see Tifa standing over him. He sat up and rubbed his eyes. Aeris and Yuffie had left, leaving the two of them alone.

"Tifa…" he began. The dream was playing on his mind. The voice had raised some worrying questions. "When Sephiroth and I went to Nibelheim, where were you?"

Tifa furrowed her brow in confusion.

"…We saw each other, right?" she asked.

"The other time," Cloud replied, thinking of that time on top of the well. They used to talk for ages up there. The last time they talked was when he had told her he was going away. He could still remember the look on her face. She tried to hide it, but his choice to join SOLDIER had clearly upset her.

"No… it was 5 years ago," Tifa mused. "I don't remember." She cocked her head to the front door. "But, something seems strange outside. Cloud, come quick!"

He could hear strange music blaring outside. It sounded like some sort of congratulatory fanfare. What was going on, he wondered? He followed Tifa outside.

_To be continued…_


	53. Sad Old Town

The upbeat tones of the fanfare reverberated through the air, every drumbeat thrumming in Cloud's ears. He rounded a corner and spotted the entire team huddled together in the centre of the village beneath a raised building.

"Doesn't it seem a little strange?" asked Tifa as she and Cloud reached the others. "Everything getting so noisy all of a sudden…?"

"Seems like something's goin' on up there!" Barret said, pointing to the huge cannon.

"It's giving me a headache!" cried Yuffie as she cupped her ears in her hands.

A door opened above them. Cloud looked up at the raised building and saw Priscilla. She had colour in her cheeks and looked a lot better than she did earlier.

"Are you all right now?" Cloud asked her.

"…Thanks for helping…" she replied timidly.

The girl descended the staircase and stood amongst the group.

"I'm sorry I mistook you for one of those Shinra people…"

"That's all right," replied Cloud.

"I'll give you something SPECIAL!" she exclaimed excitedly as she pulled something shiny from her pocket and handed it to Cloud. "It's an amulet. Take good care of it, okay?"

Cloud twisted the amulet around in his fingers. Encased within a golden shell was a glittering red gem. He had seen this sort of gem before. It was a summon materia and was cold to the touch, having been imbued with the element of ice.

"Thanks," he said to Priscilla as he pocketed it.

"What's that music?" moaned Barret. "It sure sounds lively."

"I heard they're rehearsing the reception for the new Shinra president," Priscilla explained.

Barret raised his fists in the air, his eyes turning wild and his mouth forming a grimace.

"Rufus!?" he bellowed, so loudly that for a split second it drowned out the noise of the fanfare. "I gotta pay my respects," he added sarcastically.

Priscilla sighed and tugged at one of her sleeves anxiously. "Grandpa and grandma told me this beach was beautiful when they were small. But after the Shinra built that city above, the sun stopped shining here, and the water got polluted…" Her anxiousness turned to anger in a split second. "I was raised on that story and hate Shinra so much, I could die!"

Cloud felt Priscilla's pain. The corporation was so corrupt that it had more enemies than it had allies. Not that anyone cared, and especially not Rufus. All he was bothered about was money and power, just like his father.

"You think Rufus is thinking of crossing the ocean from here, too?" asked Aeris, her voice piercing the tense atmosphere.

"What?" exclaimed Tifa. "Does that mean Sephiroth already crossed the ocean?"

Nobody seemed to know the answer to that question. Once again, the enigma that was Sephiroth was shrouded in mystery.

"Cloud, didn't you finish Rufus off?" asked Red.

He shook his head. "No. He took off before I could finish him," he replied disappointedly.

"We gotta get to the town up there," urged Barret. "Mebbe we could climb the tower?"

Priscilla waved her hands in the air erratically. "No! No!" she yelled. "There's a high voltage current running underneath the tower. Don't wander near it, it's dangerous! But… you might be able to if Mr. Dolphin helps you. Follow me!"

Cloud wondered how a dolphin could possibly help him. Before he could even contemplate the answer, Priscilla ran towards the beach, beckoning for him to follow her.

"High voltage tower…" Tifa said. "I guess this means Cloud'll be all right."

"Yeah, better leave it to Cloud!" said Aeris with a giggle.

"We're counting on you, Cloud," Red added.

"Hey!" Cloud yelled as the team dispersed in every direction. "Wait a second!"

"Great…" he mumbled to himself.

Being the designated leader wasn't all it was cracked up to be, yet someone had to take the helm. Reluctantly, he followed Priscilla to the beach, not quite knowing what was going to be in store for him.

"Wait a minute," said Priscilla as she stood at the water's edge. She called for him and the dolphin came to her, dancing playfully in the water and making clicking sounds with its snout. She blew a whistle and the dolphin sprung into the air so high that Cloud was surprised it hadn't come back down covered in snow.

"Now ain't that something!" Barret gasped. "I ain't never seen no dolphin jump like that!"

Priscilla faced them.

"Pretty cool, huh? When I blow this whistle, Mr. Dolphin jumps for me. Here!" She threw the whistle at Cloud, who caught it in one hand. "This is for you, Cloud!"

"A gift?" asked Cloud. "What am I supposed to do with it!?"

"Just go into the water, blow this whistle, and Mr. Dolphin'll jump you to the top of the pole!"

He looked up to see a thin metal pole jutting out of the framework that held the cannon up. That pole was dangerously high.

"Jump to the top of the pole?"

Cloud was no wuss but he had to admit, this was an amateur move, concocted by a little girl with an overactive imagination. On the other hand, it was the quickest route up there and time was not on their side. He gulped hard and pushed his thoughts to one side, breathing deeply through his nose to clear his head.

"See that rod sticking out at the top? If you jump just right, you can climb to the top of the town."

Jump just right? That didn't sound good. A plan like that needed pin-point precision.

"Good luck Cloud!" said Barret. "If you make it, we'll follow you!"

_If_ he made it? Cloud rarely got nervous but now the butterflies in his stomach felt like they were dive-bombing every part of his body. Even his knees were quivering.

_Pull yourself together, Cloud_, he mentally scolded himself.

"Woah, I'll hold the PHS for you," Barret said as he grabbed the device from Cloud's pocket. "It'll break if it gets wet."

Cloud shook his head. Wouldn't want the PHS to break now, would we? Doesn't matter about him. He had to laugh. When did he get so emotional? Being with that lot was revealing a whole new side to him that even he didn't know existed. Cloud didn't know if it was a bad thing or a good thing. Realising that he was overthinking again, he breathed in deeply and then exhaled. Time to put this plan into action.

"So, you wanna jump with Mr. Dolphin?" Priscilla asked.

"Sure."

It was now or never. He swam towards the dolphin and leapt onto its back. Cloud was surprised at how large the creature was and how easily it could take the weight of a fully grown man, but he still couldn't shake the notion that it was a silly idea and imagined that Barret was laughing at him from the beach. He wanted to look to make sure he wasn't becoming a laughing stock but knew that if he did, then all concentration would be lost. Glancing up towards the pole, he took a deep breath in and blew the whistle.

Cloud had no time to react or even think. The air whooshed through his hair and ears as both man and beast hurtled upwards towards the pole. Cloud stretched out his arms, watching with huge eyes as the pole came nearer and nearer. A jolt of panic hit him as he felt his momentum shift and begin to slow down but with an amazing stroke of luck, he managed to grip onto the pole and pull himself up.

The dolphin squealed excitedly as if it was immensely proud of its accomplishment and bounded back into the water with a splash.

Cloud scrambled to his feet and brushed himself off. The air felt fresher up here and the scenery was spectacular. It was saddening to think that the people below couldn't breathe the same fresh air or gaze out onto the luscious green meadows that lay beyond. It was like Midgar in many ways and once again, Shinra was to blame.

He took one last look at the ocean, meadows and mountains spread out in front of him and climbed the ladder to the city up ahead.

_To be continued…_


	54. Soldier for a Day

Cloud reached the top to find a huge airship docked at an airport that was stretched out in front of him. A huge expanse of metal and machinery, the airship towered above him, obscuring most of the sky. Did it belong to the Shinra, Cloud wondered? Probably, he thought. What was its use? A new weapon of war? Most likely.

He glanced to his left and saw a blandly decorated building that looked like some sort of army barracks. Behind it in the near distance was the bustling city of Junon. That was where he needed to be, but to get to it in time, he'd have to take a shortcut and go through the barracks.

Tentatively, Cloud opened the door and peered into the corridor. The coast was clear. He stepped through the door just as another door to his right sprung open. A trio of excitable soldiers marched past him. Cloud edged backwards into the doorway but they whizzed straight past him.

"The new president!" one shouted. "He's here, he's here!"

"Hurry! Hurry!" another one boomed.

They marched proudly down the corridor and out of sight. Another soldier dressed in a red commander suit bounded out of the door the soldiers emerged from and looked at Cloud sharply in the eyes.

"Hey! You still dressed like that!?" he bellowed, his face growing as red as his uniform. "Come 'ere!"

The ballsy commander grabbed Cloud by the shoulders, spun him around and marched him through the door. Inside was a locker room. It stunk of body odour, deodorant and sweaty feet. Cloud didn't miss the stuffy locker rooms at all. In fact, he missed nothing about his SOLDIER days.

"Today's the big day when we welcome President Rufus! Hurry up and change!"

The commander crossed his arms and watched Cloud's every move, which made him feel slightly uneasy. Privacy was an unusual concept for the man, it seemed.

He opened a locker and found a scratty-looking Shinra uniform hanging inside. It smelled awful.

"Brings back memories…" Cloud mused. Some good, many bad.

"Quit yappin'!" the commander barked. "Hurry up!"

"A Shinra uniform… I was so proud when I first put it on. I wonder when it was…"

The smell of the uniform worsened the more he handled it. It had a musty quality to it and was coated in a layer of filmy dust that left a strange feeling on his fingers. Cloud had a feeling that the soldier this uniform belonged to had quit Shinra a long, long time ago. Or maybe he died…

After all, you couldn't really quit SOLDIER, except under special circumstances, and even if you did, Shinra spies could watch you from anywhere. Cloud was fortunate that he was free of the clutches of the corrupt company… or was he? You'd never tell if you were under surveillance. Was he being watched then? Or was he really free? If he was free, then why? Too many difficult questions, so little answers.

Brushing those thoughts to one side, he put on the uniform and looked at himself in the mirror. A flood of fuzzy, fragmented memories came to him but the more he tried to grasp a piece of his past, the more it seemed to evade him. Was he losing his mind? He must be. The Cloud he used to know would never give in like this. That Cloud would have fought those soldiers off and proceeded through the barracks until he got to the city. He had to admit that such a plan was careless, though. At least this way he could blend in.

"…I couldn't stand wearing this thing anymore," he whispered to himself, catching another glimpse of his past before it sunk back to the depths of his subconscious.

"Wow!" exclaimed the soldier as he looked him up and down. "You look good in it!" He stood directly in front of Cloud. "You remember the Greeting procedure, right!?"

Cloud shrugged. He'd forgotten. It was not surprising. How could he expect himself to remember something like that when there were huge swathes of his memory missing? It was worrying, to say the least, but he had bigger fish to fry right now. Sephiroth was out there and he was planning something catastrophic.

"…The look on your face says you forgot. All right, I'll show you again!" the smug-faced commander declared, puffing out his chest proudly. "Do just like we do."

Two soldiers who appeared to be eavesdropping suddenly bounded through the door.

"Commander!" one of them yelled. "We'll help too!" He turned to face Cloud. "This is how to do it!"

"We'll sing too!" the other one excitedly proclaimed.

Wow, these guys are really enthusiastic, Cloud thought to himself. They evidently took pride in the company they represented. Did they realise the true ethos of Shinra or were they blinded by their loyalty? Most men who joined SOLDIER did so because they wanted to fight, but not just to prove their strength, but their loyalty, and not just for Shinra, but for the people of Midgar and the rest of the world. That's what initially drew Cloud in. But the Shinra he thought he knew was nothing but a façade. The real Shinra was dirty, corrupt and evil. AVALANCHE had already got them figured out. And how did Shinra retaliate? By breaking the support pillar above the Sector 7 Slums and wiping out an entire village, killing thousands in the process. For the good of the people… yeah, right.

Cloud took a deep breath and held it before slowly releasing it. He couldn't let his angry thoughts take over his mind. He needed a clear head.

"All right!" the commander exclaimed. "Show 'em!"

The two soldiers stood side by side as still as statues.

"Now, march!" one loudly proclaimed, his booming voice echoing around the confined space. "This's the Welcoming March!"

They marched proudly on the spot, cocking their weapons in the air and twisting them around in their hands in an extravagant and over-the-top display. They sang as they danced – Cloud likened it to two squawking Chocobos'. Needless to say, it was clear that these pair were not going to be winning any singing contests any time soon. He listened to their song whilst trying to keep a straight face. He had no idea how hard it could be…

_Rufus-_

_Rufus Shinra-_

_We-are-Shinra Company-_

_The new-President-_

"Got it?" the commander asked Cloud once they were finished with their tacky performance.

"Sure," Cloud replied, thankful that it was over.

"Good! Make sure you do well at the real parade!"

Just then, a third soldier entered the room. He was huffing and puffing, clearly out of breath. He had a nervous yet excited look on his face.

"Rufus has arrived!" he gasped. "Preparation completed!"

"All right, show time!" the commander boomed. "Don't disgrace yourselves!"

Cloud sighed and shook his head. Why did he always get himself in these predicaments? He briefly wondered where the others were and if they, too, had made a way up to the city, before leaving the locker room and heading into the city.

_To be continued…_


	55. The Facade

The bustling city of Junon was loud, dark and unappealing. Drab blocks of buildings towered into the sky, blocking out most of the sunlight. Cloud thought it would be brighter up here than down there, but he much preferred the tranquillity of the village beneath.

It was a city that had a large military presence. After all, its main service was as a military base. Shinra never had any intention of using it as anything else.

He glanced up. The cannon was immense, looming above the city. Cloud guessed that it could destroy an entire nation. He sighed. Shinra would use it, no doubt. But where? They wanted to rule the world but they could quite easily destroy it too.

His thoughts lead him briefly to Sephiroth. Where did he fit into all this? What was his plan? It couldn't be good. Would he and Shinra fight? Or would that be Cloud's battle?

Shaking his head, he composed himself, taking in his surroundings. The streets were relatively empty but there was a swell of sounds coming from the distance. He could hear people cheering and chanting, car horns blasting and helicopters hovering overhead, as well as that monotonous congratulatory fanfare that had been blaring on for what seemed like hours.

"Oh… no…!" gasped the commander. "No one's here!" He looked around frantically. "Late-!?" Averting his gaze to Cloud, he yelled, "Hey, rookie! It's because you're running around like that!"

"Captain!" yelled one of the soldiers, cutting off the commander. "We'll take a short cut!"

"Right!" said the commander, his brow slightly furrowed as if he was trying to contain his displeasure of being interrupted. "Good idea! Get over here!"

Cloud followed the soldiers to the short cut which consisted of a tiny, dark alleyway sandwiched between two buildings. As he peered inside, the sounds of the crowds the other side echoed through the darkness.

"All right!" exclaimed the commander to Cloud. "You first!"

They traversed through the alleyway and eventually found themselves in the throng of the procession. The Welcome Parade had already started its ascent through the streets. People hung out of the windows above to watch and crowds gathered in the street as it passed through.

One of the soldiers edged forwards and peeked his head out of the darkness. He looked left and right and then turned and nodded.

"I'll go first!" he whispered. "Now you watch close and do as I do, rookie!"

The parade continued to march, their eyes focused on the path ahead, their minds sharpened to the task they were obliged to perform. They would be foolish to make a mistake here, especially if they already knew how ruthless Rufus was as their new president. It would be easy for Cloud and the others to sneak in. Hopefully.

"Just sneak into the back of the line when you see an opening."

The soldier inspected the line for a few seconds and then merged into the parade unseen. It seemed easy enough.

"Now listen up!" began the commander. "This parade's gonna be broadcast live on Shinra TV, around the world!" He waved his arms around frantically. "If you look bad, the whole Junon army will look bad. Remember that and don't screw up!"

What did it matter? Cloud didn't care if the army looked bad. He was doing this to get through the city without alerting anyone of his presence. The plan was to track Sephiroth, confront him and deal with him head-on. If Rufus or any of the Shinra found out, it would be game over, and not just for them but for the whole world.

An opening was coming up. He had little time to think. Perhaps it was a good thing. Some situations required luck rather than skill, and this was one of those situations.

"OK!" boomed the commander. "Jump in when I give you the sign! Just sneak in from the back! Don't mess up the row!"

Cloud's face was beginning to flush as his anger swelled. He was no amateur. Still, the commander wasn't to know that. He breathed in deeply and listened to what the commander had to say.

"And no matter what you do don't try to go in from the front!" he warned. "All right! Start marching! Charge-!"

He darted out of the darkness, positioning himself quickly into the opening. Glancing quickly around, he was relieved when no one caught his gaze or even peered towards him. Reciting the moves in his head, he marched along with the procession until they stopped at the far end of the city, where Rufus and his lackeys were waiting for them.

"Good!" puffed the commander. "We made it!"

Barely, thought Cloud, if the commander's wheezing was anything to go by. Perhaps he was so out of shape because he talked too much…

"Oh! President Rufus!" gasped one of the soldiers, trying to make eye contact with the young president. What was he after, brownie points?

"Hey!" barked the commander. "Line up and shut up!" He averted his eyes to Cloud. "Don't make a move!"

As the soldiers took their places in front of the president, Cloud was more interested in listening in to Rufus' conversation with his lackey, the large, loud man in the green suit and with a laugh that could curdle milk in a split second. What was his name again, Cloud wondered? Heidegger?

"How's the job?" Rufus asked the man. "What happened to the Airship?" he added without giving him the chance to answer the first question.

"The long-range airship is still being prepared," Heidegger replied. "It should be ready in about three more days." He let out a huge belly laugh.

"Even the Air Force's Gelnika?" asked Rufus, sounding unamused.

The large, bearded man laughed in response. Cloud watched Rufus' features turn from annoyance to anger in a split second.

"Stop that stupid horse laugh," he snapped. "Things are different than when father was in charge."

Heidegger hung his head in shame.

"Is the ship ready?" asked Rufus, composing himself.

"Yes sir," replied Heidegger. "We'll get it ready quickly."

Rufus grunted, turned his back and swaggered over to the elevator that would take him to the upper levels of the city. Heidegger was about to follow him but swivelled around on the spot at the last second. Quick as a flash, he lunged towards the crowd of soldiers, large fists flailing, his face beet red and his lips pursed so tightly that they were almost white against his flushed cheeks. All that was missing was the steam coming from his ears.

Cloud and the others scattered in all directions to evade the beast's angry advances. After a few tense moments, Heidegger sauntered off, swearing under his breath, and rode the elevator up with Rufus.

"What a disaster," mumbled one of the soldiers.

"Heidegger was really irritated…" said another.

"The man in the Black Cape's been roaming the city, but we can't find him," explained the third soldier, piquing Cloud's interest.

"Man in a Black Cape?" he asked.

"He showed up two or three days ago, and killed a few of our soldiers," the soldier continued. "He disappeared right after that. There's a rumour going around that it was Sephiroth."

It was no rumour. What was Sephiroth up to? Whatever it was gave Cloud a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. That man was not only evil; he was deranged.

"Attention!" the commander suddenly bellowed. "Dismissed!"

The soldiers dispersed, the commander following in their footsteps. Cloud was left with another commander. This one seemed older and looked sterner. His face was wrinkled, his mouth down-turned. Sometimes, judging a book by its cover was the right thing to do as he poked Cloud hard in the chest.

"Hey!" he bellowed. "Hey you! You messing with the army?"

"Who cares?" Cloud casually answered. He'd dealt with tougher foes in his time.

"You're too lazy!" the commander spat. "No break for you! Get over here!"

He frogmarched Cloud all the way over to the locker room.

"This is the military, soldier!" he yelled once they were inside. "Your orders for today are to send off President Rufus at the dock! I'll keep drilling you until it's time!"

Just then two more soldiers barraged their way inside the locker room.

"I'll help, sir!" one said.

"Me too, sir!"

What was this, deja-vu? He shook his head. He didn't have time for this.

"All right!" bellowed the commander. "Line up in order and show me your final pose! Today's command is Formation!" He turned to Cloud. "Remember it!" He swivelled towards the two soldiers. "Ready!? Junon Military Send Off, BEGIN!"

The soldiers performed their routine. It was really nothing special. Cloud was pretty sure he'd remember it. After all, he used to be First Class…

"All right! Now you try it!"

Cloud copied the mundane routine. Why was he doing this again? He briefly wondered where the others were. He hoped they were okay.

"So, you got it?" asked the commander.

"I've got it," Cloud replied.

"All right! Don't mess up during the real thing."

Cloud grit his teeth. This commander was really getting on his nerves…

"Commander! What's today's special pose?" asked one of the soldiers.

"Huh? …I haven't decided yet."

More like he'd forgotten, thought Cloud, trying to stifle a giggle.

"All right, rookie!" he exclaimed, turning to Cloud. "I'll let you decide! Show me your best move!"

"Let's see…" he mused. "My best move is…"

He performed his victory pose, lifting his sword high above his head and twizzling it around in the air in one smooth motion. He had perfected it over the years. It was hard to master. He wondered if these soldiers would be able to pull it off.

Woo-ow!" gasped one.

"That's awesome!" cried the other excitedly.

"All right!" exclaimed the commander. "We'll go with that as today's special! Practice it!"

"Yes sir!" replied the soldiers in unison.

He turned to Cloud.

"Well then! Meet at the dock!" he demanded. "Don't be late! Attention! Dismissed!"

Cloud made his way to the docks to give Rufus a send-off he absolutely did not deserve, and, with any luck, find his way onto the boat.

On the way there, he spotted a motley crew of all shapes and sizes heading in the same direction as him. How they managed to get through Junon without raising any suspicions was a miracle. But at least they _had_ made it. How had they made it to the top, he wondered? Probably easier than grabbing a lift with a dolphin, that was for sure…

He followed his team to the docks, where a huge boat was stationed, but when he got there he had lost sight of them. They couldn't have been far. Perhaps they had made it into the boat already. Instead, he bumped into the commander and the soldiers. Cloud sighed and shook his head. He couldn't wait to be rid of them and get out of this smelly itchy Shinra uniform.

"All right, it's time!" declared the commander. "Ten… HUT!"

The other soldiers took their places at Cloud's side and saluted the commander, who wore a smug look on his face.

"President Rufus… has now arrived!" shouted another soldier in the background.

Suddenly a solid metal door sprung open. The young president waltzed out, his trench coat billowing out behind him. Heidegger followed close behind.

"This is it!" the commander declared in a half-whisper half-shout as if he was scared of the president but trying not to show it. "Junon Military Reception-!" He breathed in deeply and then exhaled. Cloud could tell that he was nervous. "Do it right-, do it with enthusiasm…! Ready…!"

There was literally no time to prepare. The send-off had begun. It seemed to last for ages. He was sweating. He was shaking. He was nervous and embarrassed. Why was he doing this again? Come to think of it, he'd done a lot of unusual things since getting involved with AVALANCHE. He guessed now was the time to mentally prepare himself for a lot more misadventures. He didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

He tried not to look at Rufus but Cloud's gaze kept going there, and he was sure that the president was staring back. Was it that obvious that it was him beneath this old stinky suit? Rufus looked away, eying up the other soldiers, his eyes cold and disapproving. Heidegger had unleashed that horse laugh of his, his large belly heaving with every breath. Was the send-off _that_ bad? Whatever. As long as Cloud managed to get onto that boat without alerting Rufus, that was all that mattered.

"All right!" the commander suddenly yelled. "Now finish strong!"

Finally, it was almost over.

"SPECIAL-!"

Wow. It was a wonder the commander didn't have a coronary right there on the spot, thought Cloud.

Doing what he did best, Cloud held his gun high in the air, twisting it around in an extravagant display. Although he wasn't focusing on the soldiers beside him, he could see in his field of vision that they too had perfected the move. Still, Rufus did not look impressed. Could anything please that man besides having his pockets lined with bountiful amounts of gil and the prospect of gaining world domination? Unlikely.

The young president walked over to Cloud and peered into his eyes. He held his breath, sure that Rufus has figured out his true identity.

"Well done," he stated, his expression stoic. "Keep up the good work for Shinra."

Heidegger stormed up to the line of soldiers and laughed in their faces. His breath stunk of stale cigars and garlic. Cloud had to hold his breath after a while.

"Here's a special bonus for you!" he bellowed. "A token of the President's kindness! Don't forget it!"

He handed each of them an item. Cloud's was potion-shaped and shoddily wrapped in cheap wrapping paper. The President's kindness… yeah. Right.

"Once the word gets out that Sephiroth's here," Rufus began, "Cloud and his friends will show up, too."

"We'll crush them as soon as we find them!" Heidegger roared, his voice full of fury.

"We can't have them get in our way," hissed Rufus.

"Leave it up to me, sir!" Heidegger replied with a laugh.

"I thought I told you to stop that stupid laugh…" Rufus interrupted.

Rufus turned on his heel and entered the boat, leaving Heidegger red-faced. To satiate his anger, the large man stormed towards Cloud and the other soldiers before turning and following Rufus. He clearly had anger issues…

"All right! Dismissed!" the commander ordered.

"That was close," said one of the soldiers.

"Heidegger's been really edgy lately," said a second soldier.

"Because Hojo disappeared, leaving a letter of resignation," said the first.

"Heidegger's been forced to take care of that investigation, too," continued the second soldier.

The commander blew his whistle and confronted the line of soldiers.

"Hey-! I thought you were dismissed!"

The soldiers dispersed, leaving Cloud and the commander alone. He turned to Cloud and blew his whistle in his face. This guy had no people skills whatsoever.

"We got some cleaning up to do!" he ordered. "Hurry up!"

The commander marched away, leaving Cloud on his own. Quickly glancing around just to make certain, he made his way onto the boat.

_We'll cross the ocean, to the new continent. Even if we are wearing Shinra's uniforms…_

_To be continued…_


	56. All Aboard

The boat was basic inside, stacked to the rafters with boxes and containers. It was cold down here in the cargo hold but the air was stuffy and humid, giving it an oppressive quality and making his skin clammy. The Shinra uniform didn't help either.

Cloud surveyed his surroundings. He saw a few people milling about, recognising one. It might have been one of his team but he was still cautious as he approached.

The girl appeared to be having a hard time. She brought a hand up to her mouth and heaved.

"This is why… I hate ships," she spluttered.

It was Yuffie, and her face was a lovely shade of green. Cloud had never suffered from motion sickness but he knew plenty of people who did.

"Hey, Cloud. You have any tranquilizers?"

He pulled one out from his pocket. It was always good to stock up.

"Here, use this."

"Thanks," she replied, taking the bottle from him and glugging it back in one go. "Gross… this is bitter." She caught her breath. "Where are the others?"

"I dunno. Aren't they hiding somewhere around here?"

"How should I know?" Yuffie replied before heaving again.

The teenager had one heck of an attitude on her. He walked away, hoping to find the others. He caught sight of another Shinra soldier in the corner and quietly approached.

"Umm… it's me, Aeris," the soldier responded.

Thank goodness. The others should have been close by.

"Hey, Cloud," she said. "Did you see the Airship at Junon?"

"…I heard it was big, but I didn't expect it to be THAT big," Cloud replied.

"That was REALLY something." She smiled, her eyes glowing. "Hey, do you think I could get on it?"

"I'll take you someday…" Cloud answered even though it was likely he wouldn't be able to keep the promise. He'd have liked to get on it himself but he doubted it would be possible. "…Keep hoping," he finished.

"Wow!" she exclaimed. "I'm really looking forward to it!"

Her optimism showed no bounds. Cloud wondered what it would feel like to have such a wonderful perspective on the world. He could learn a thing or two from her.

"Hey, Cloud. Did you see Barret?" asked Aeris.

"No," he replied.

"I hope he's not doing anything stupid…"

Another voice boomed through the cargo hold. Cloud averted his gaze to the source of the noise to see a puny Shinra soldier guarding a solid metal door.

"Hey, get to work!" he bellowed. "Both the new President Rufus and Heidegger are aboard this ship! If we do good, we could get promoted!"

Cloud climbed the steps that lead onto the top deck. The sea breeze was invigorating and fresh against his skin but the air was still warm even though they were approaching the middle of the ocean. Shinra workers were up here too, milling about and doing odd jobs. He recognised one of them as Tifa. She looked pretty, even in a Shinra uniform. She was standing atop a raised observation deck, looking out across the ocean.

"Yes sir! Everything quiet, sir!" she said with a smile and a cheeky glint in her deep brown eyes.

Cloud returned her smile, if only for a brief moment. His mind was more concerned with Barret and what he may have been up to.

"…But, you know what?" she said with a heavy sigh, "I really hate this uniform. Uniforms, soldiers, war, I hate 'em all." She looked down at the floor, pawing at the ground with her feet. "They take away all the things and people you love… I wish they'd all disappear. Right, Cloud?"

"Yeah…" he replied. He felt the same way. He figured they all did.

"You're right!" Tifa exclaimed. Her happy-go-lucky attitude had returned. She had that glimmer in her eyes again. "Uh, yes sir, I'll continue my watch sir!" She finished with a giggle and then went back to watching the ocean.

Cloud made his way towards the helm of the ship. On his way, he saw a very strange-looking Shinra soldier trying really hard to keep himself upright. He had his helmet pulled right down to obscure his red, furry face. It amazed Cloud how Red had managed to elude the entire Shinra army in his ridiculous disguise, but it seemed to have worked.

He continued on to the front of the ship and saw Barret disguised as a sailor crouched beneath the windows of the front cabin, peering inside whenever he could get the chance.

"Look, Cloud," Barret whispered. "It's Rufus and Heidegger." He balled his hand into a fist. "They're this close but we can't do a thing to 'em…"

They watched on as Heidegger paced the floor of the cabin, consumed by fits of raucous laughter. Barret groaned under his breath, his whole body trembling as his anger took hold. Cloud put a hand on his shoulder to calm him.

"How can he…" he hissed. "Goin' off laughin' like that? Because of him, Biggs… Wedge… Jessie…!"

"Barret!" Cloud cried. "You can't let it get to you!"

"God!" he screamed. "I can't take it anymore! I'm gonna settle things here and now…"

"Barret, no!" Cloud cried.

Suddenly the air was pierced by the sounds of sirens. A loud voice rang through the air.

"_Emergency alert!" _it droned_. "Reports of a suspicious character found! Those not on detail, search the ship. Report when found! I repeat! Suspicious character found on board! Those not on detail, search the ship. Report when found!"_

"Damn, did they find us!?" cried Barret. "Hey, that don't seem like us. Do they mean… Tifa and the others!?" He turned to face Cloud. "Get off your spikey butt and let's go, Cloud!"

_To be continued…_


	57. Face to Face

They met up with the others on the top deck. After a quick glance, Cloud realised they were all accounted for.

"You all right!?" Barret cried out.

"Everyone all right!? Tifa exclaimed worriedly. She glanced around. "Everyone's here… right?"

"Hey, wait," said Barret. "You don't think that suspicious character is… Sephiroth!?"

"Really!?" gasped Tifa.

"How the hell am I supposed to know!?" roared Barret in a panic.

"Let's find out." urged Cloud.

"It's the most logical thing to do," stated Red. "Then, who's going to go?"

"N, not me…," Yuffie croaked. "I don't even like Sephiroth anyway. And besid…" She threw her head to one side and started heaving again.

Barret reared his fist, his shoulders shaking and his face contorted into a grimace. If Barret joined the team, his anger would do more harm than good. He had the brute force and a temper to match. Cloud had watched many a soldier with the same blasé attitude rise and fall in one foul swoop. In some situations, an attitude like that could get you places; this wasn't one of them.

"I don't mind going with you, Cloud," Tifa said.

"Me neither," Aeris added.

"It's decided then," Cloud agreed. "…Sephiroth…" He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "…All right, let's go!"

They entered the depths of the boat, where a foul smell of iron-rich blood greeted their nostrils. After a quick glance around, Cloud established where the smell was coming from. Bodies lay strewn and bloody on the floor. Not a single soldier moved or made any kind of sound. All that Cloud could hear was his own heartbeat and the steady whirring of the boat's engines.

A small side room contained yet more bodies, but Cloud's eyes were fixed on a commander stood upright at the back of the room. His back was turned against them and though he was standing, he was very still, almost statue-like in posture.

"Is it… Sephiroth?" Cloud whispered to the team.

"I… I don't know," Tifa replied back.

"Cloud… be careful," urged Aeris.

The commander suddenly turned around, clutching at a large wound in his chest. Blood was cascading over his hands and his face was contorted in a silent scream. He tried to utter out a few last words but no sound came out. Then he fell to the floor and was still.

"No… not Sephiroth!" Cloud gasped, stepping away from the body.

The air shifted suddenly like there was a sudden drop in air pressure. An eerie, disembodied voice drifted through the small room.

"…_After a long sleep… the time… time has… come…"_

"Look, Cloud!" Aeris gasped, pointing to the area where the commander had fallen.

As if in spirit-form, Sephiroth rose through the solid metal floor, his long white hair fanning his face. His feet didn't touch the floor. Instead he appeared to levitate a few inches above the ground. What was he? Not human, thought Cloud. Had Sephiroth ever been truly human? Looking back, the strange man exhibited supernatural powers ever since Cloud had known him, and a strength unmatched by any soldier.

"Sephiroth!" gasped Cloud. "You're alive!"

"…who are you?" he replied in response.

Cloud recoiled. He didn't remember him. How? It was only five years ago.

"You don't remember me!?" Cloud exclaimed. "I'm Cloud!"

"Cloud…" he replied, his face expressionless. It was as if he was detached from the real world.

"Sephiroth!" Cloud roared, his hands clenched into fists. "What are you thinking!? What are you doing!?"

Sephiroth looked up. His expression had now changed. A large, maniacal grin stretched across his face and his eyes were so wide you could almost reach inside them and pull out his soul – if he had one that was.

"…The time… is now…" he chanted.

"What!?" screamed Cloud. "What are you saying!? Be more…"

Flashes of green lit up the room. A shadow darted through the bright haze, bounding from wall to wall and sending swathes of cool wind towards the group. The brightness fizzled away but all Cloud could see was an eerie fog of pure white. When his vision cleared, Sephiroth was gone.

Towering above them was the Jenova specimen. It might have been human once, but all traces of its former self had gone. Its skin was bright purple, glowing even in the dim light of the room. Fleshy wings protruded out of the side of its body, giving the creature an almost angel-like appearance. Except what stood before them was no angel. This was a monster.

The beast unleashed a succession of laser beams, aimed with perfect precision at the team. One hit Cloud squarely in the chest, knocking him off his feet. He countered with his limit break but Jenova barely flinched. Its attacks came again and again, leaving almost no chance for the team to counter. That's when Cloud saw its body shift. Its wings had lowered and had begun to form a protective cocoon around its body. It must have been weakened. This was their opening.

Cloud saw movement in his peripheral vision. Turning his head, he watched as Tifa lunged towards the creature, attacking it with kicks and punches, its body shaking with each blow. Her reflexes were so quick that Jenova had no chance to counter.

Seeing his chance, Cloud lunged for the belly of the beast, cutting through the flesh with his sword. But what spilt out wasn't blood or guts, but an intense wave of bright light. What was this thing? It was unlike anything he had seen before. It was almost otherworldly. Cloud shut his eyes as the brightness overpowered him. When he opened them Jenova had gone. All that was left was a hideous clawed arm that was still writhing about on the floor.

"Everyone… OK?" Cloud asked, the words getting caught in his throat.

"I… I think so…" Aeris replied.

"I've seen this somewhere… before," Tifa whispered as she peered down at the grotesque body part.

"…Jenova," Cloud mumbled. "The arm of Jenova." He looked around, expecting to find Sephiroth lurking in a dark corner, but they were alone. "So it WAS Sephiroth."

"He said something about it being time for something," stated Tifa.

"…Time… is now?" Cloud wondered.

"Hmm… I don't get it," said Aeris. "Hey, Cloud. Can you explain it to us?"

"I'll try," he replied, "but don't interrupt me while I'm explaining." He paced the floor. "Sephiroth went off searching for the Promised Land, so he could become the ruler of the planet… that was 5 years ago. Then Sephiroth came back and killed President Shinra. And then just now all of us saw Sephiroth. He was carrying Jenova with him. This much I do know. He told me he wants to go to the Promised Land with his mother, Jenova… I guess that's about it."

The sound of the boat's horn echoed through the room, followed by a monotonic voice.

"Dock workers—we will be docking in Costa Del Sol in 5 minutes. Prepare for docking."

Cloud wondered how many dock workers were still alive and what would happen when the authorities found the bodies. Would they blame Sephiroth? Or would they blame them? It wasn't a risk he was willing to take.

"Maybe we shouldn't stay in here anymore…" Aeris suggested, as if plucking Cloud's concerns from his head.

They left the room. Cloud turned to face it one last time.

"Sephiroth… is alive…" he whispered. "The Promised Land… does it really exist…?"

He turned and left, joining the rest of the group as they hid in a darkened corner and waited for the boat to dock.

_To be continued…_


	58. A Welcome Relief

The intense summer heat and brightness hit Cloud as he emerged from the boat. The Costa del Sol was a hotspot for tourists and sun-worshipers, but this was no vacation for him and his group. They had successfully crossed the ocean and had entered a new continent. They would gather as much information as they could from the locals and holiday-makers and then move on. Cloud was unsure where their journey would take them, or what Sephiroth was planning, but he had to see it through to the end. And as much as he would like to soak up the rays for a few hours, he couldn't let Sephiroth get away.

"Damn!" yelled Barret. "Sure is hot here! But I feel better now that I can say good-bye to this sailor suit."

They had all agreed to take their uniforms off just before leaving the boat. It was a risky decision but none of them could stomach wearing them any longer than they needed to. Besides, now that Sephiroth was on a killing spree, all eyes and ears were on him, which meant that Cloud and the others could slip under the radar.

"Yo listen up!" Barret yelled. "Y'all be sure to mingle like regular folks here!"

"Oh, too bad," said Aeris with a cheeky smirk. "I liked Barret's sailor suit. He looked so cute."

Barret looked at Aeris with wide, disbelieving eyes.

"…What'ya mean 'cute'?" he asked, flexing his muscles to look as macho as he could.

Aeris started to giggle. When she laughed, they all laughed. Her optimism and sense of humour were infectious. Soon they were all laughing.

"Right… well, uh…" Tifa began. "Barret, why don't you use that sailor suit for pyjamas? Right, Cloud?"

"Uh… you look like a bear wearing a marshmallow," laughed Cloud.

Barret puffed out his chest. His cheeks were growing redder by the second.

"The hell's that supposed to mean!?" he barked. "This happens to be the most comfortable, so shu'up!"

"Would you kindly hurry?" ordered Red, breaking up the fun atmosphere. "The heat here is drying my nose."

"Yeah, mine too!" Yuffie declared, jumping up and down on the spot.

"All right," said Cloud. "We'll take a break and then head off. Don't wander too far off."

"I'll wander wherever I damn well want!" Barret retorted. "Who made him the leader?"

Before Cloud could refute his abilities as team leader, Barret stormed off and disappeared into the town. For a man in his thirties, he sure didn't act it. Marlene was more mature than he was, and she was only four.

"It looks like my mane got messed up," complained Red. "I'm going to rest somewhere cool." He sauntered off towards a shady spot in the far corner of the docks.

"Don't bother looking for me!" declared Yuffie as she strutted off towards the beach.

Only Cloud, Tifa and Aeris remained.

"Shall we go for a walk?" asked Aeris. "Seeing new places is really exciting, isn't it?"

"I'm up for that," Tifa replied. "Cloud?"

"Sure, why not? The journey ahead's going to be tough. We should make the most of this little break."

Relishing the warmth of the sun on their faces, the trio headed towards the beach.

* * *

Rufus was seething. Heidegger, that useless fat buffoon, had messed up yet again. Not only had Sephiroth gone on a murderous rampage inside the boat, but Cloud and his pathetic band of vigilantes had somehow managed to sneak on board too. Heidegger's head would roll for this!

"What a long boat ride that was!" declared a sailor as Rufus and Heidegger stepped off the boat.

A helicopter was hovering just above the helipad, ready to whisk the president and Heidegger towards their next location. Except, unbeknownst to Heidegger, he would not be accompanying Rufus. A smirk crept up onto his face. For once in his life, the fat idiot could make his own way there.

"Hmm… good work everyone…" said Rufus, shooting a dirty look into the back of Heidegger's head.

Heidegger laughed in response. Rufus clenched his fists so tightly his palms hurt.

"Hurry up with that!" yelled Heidegger, referring to the helicopter that was slowly lowering itself into its spot on the pad.

Why should he care, thought Rufus? It's not like he was going to get on it anytime soon.

"Yes, sir!" exclaimed two sailors at the helipad.

"I heard Sephiroth was on board," said Rufus to Heidegger.

"…Yes," replied Heidegger, hanging his head.

"And it seems Cloud and the others were on board, too."

"…Yes." Heidegger's cheeks were a vivid shade of red. He could no longer look Rufus in the eyes.

"They all slipped through…" hissed Rufus, his eyes narrowing. "You messed up big this time, Heidegger."

"I'm ashamed of myself."

"Is that all you can do…? Give one word answers and apologise for everything?"

Heidegger was spared from his disciplinary when one of the sailor's yelled from the helipad.

"Ready for departure, sir!"

Rufus walked towards the helicopter but turned to look back at Heidegger who was following closely behind. He gave the incompetent fool a swift shake of his head and waved a finger in front of his face to signal that he would not be welcome on board.

"…Do something," Rufus ordered. "I'll be expecting results."

He smirked as Heidegger could no longer do anything but tremble with pent-up anger. It appeared that he had got the message loud and clear. Perhaps he wasn't so stupid after all…

Rufus climbed into the helicopter. As the officers inside guided him into his first-class cabin, he glanced towards the dock. Heidegger had lost it yet again, unable to contain his anger. The big brute charged towards anyone he thought he could lay his hands on. Not even the holiday-makers were safe.

The president sighed and shook his head before heading into his cabin.

_To be continued…_


	59. Strange Tides

Pristine white sands dotted with palm trees stretched out in front of the town. The ocean was a vivid shade of aquamarine and so clear that you could see swarms of brightly coloured fish swimming just beneath the surface. It was a pity they couldn't stay for longer. He could really do with a break.

"Oh! Cloud!" gasped Aeris, pointing towards a man dressed head to toe in a white lab coat lounging on a deckchair.

"Look, look at that!" Tifa exclaimed as she followed Aeris' gaze.

Cloud tried to keep his face straight. Of course, he knew that they were referring to Hojo, but his eyes had focused on someone else. He was a hot-blooded man, after all. There were many layers beneath that cold, steely exterior. He decided to poke a little fun with his female comrades and pretend he hadn't seen Hojo.

"Hmm? That girl in the bikini…? Not a bad view…" he said, trying to keep his voice and features deadpan.

"What're you looking at?" snapped Tifa as she stamped her foot on the ground. "That man over there. That's Hojo from Shinra. Get outta here! Go talk to him!"

Wow, thought Cloud. Girls are so easy to wind up.

They made their way over to the professor who was surrounded by girls in bikinis. The girl that Cloud eyed-up glared at him as though he had crawled from under a stone.

"God!" she yelled. "What do you want?"

It was a shame her attitude didn't match her good looks.

"I want to talk to that man," declared Cloud as he pointed a finger towards Hojo.

"Hey, who do you think you are?" mumbled the bikini-clad girl under her breath. She turned to the professor. "Professor Hojo. That scary man says he wants to talk to you."

Without opening his eyes, he replied, "I'm busy right now."

"…But. Too bad," the woman replied.

Hojo opened one eye first and then the other, cocking an eyebrow as his gaze locked onto Cloud.

"No, I remember you all now…" he said, sitting upright. "Yes, yes. I remember now. It's been a long time, Cloud."

"Hojo…" stated Cloud.

"Sometimes you just gotta do something like this," the professor responded, taking a small sip of a white-coloured cocktail.

"…What are you doing?" asked Cloud.

"It should be obvious, I'm getting a tan."

It would take more than a few days of sunshine to get rid of that pallor. His skin was almost as white as his laboratory coat. What was with that coat, anyway? Was it glued to his body? Why would anyone sunbathe in a laboratory coat? Professor Hojo was a very weird man, and an elusive one too, very good at evading intrusive questions.

"Answer me!" Cloud yelled, his patience wearing thin.

"Hmm! I believe we're both after the same goal."

"You mean Sephiroth?" asked Cloud.

"Did you see him?" enquired Hojo. "I see…" he finished with a sharp cackle. He stood upright with his arms behind his back.

"What is it?" demanded Cloud.

"Nothing. I just remembered a certain hypothesis… haven't you ever had the feeling something is calling you? Or that you had to visit some place…?"

Cloud had had enough of his weird ramblings.

"I'll go anywhere Sephiroth is at!" he declared. "To beat him and put an end to all this!"

"I see…" replied the professor with a chuckle. "This could be interesting. Were you in SOLDIER?" He cackled this time with such ferocity that the girls surrounding him backed away. "Would you like to be my guinea pig?"

Cloud stiffened, his hands balled into fists.

"Oh, now what?" said Hojo. "Are you going to draw your sword?"

"Stop, Cloud!" screamed Tifa. "I know how you feel, but you mustn't."

Hojo howled, his shoulders shaking as he laughed. The man was completely deranged. He turned to Aeris and stared at her intently.

"Say, aren't you the 'Ancient'?"

"I'm Aeris," she stated. "The least you can do is remember my name." She walked over to him and leant in close. "I want you to tell me something, Professor Hojo…" she began. "I know I'm an Ancient. My mother told me."

"Your mother?" he questioned. "Oh, you mean Ifalna. How is she?"

Aeris stepped backwards so that there was some distance between her and the professor.

"You didn't know!?" she cried. "She died."

Hojo turned away. "…I see."

"Professor Hojo…" said Aeris. "Is Jenova an Ancient? Is Sephiroth an Ancient? Do we all have the same blood?"

Cloud could hear the professor mumbling to himself. His head was down, his arms folded tightly across his chest as if he was cocooning himself.

"…head west…"

Those were the only words Cloud could decipher.

"He's mumbling slowly… that must mean he's hiding something!" stated Aeris.

Hojo sat back down on his deck chair and closed his eyes.

"Hey!" yelled Tifa. "Answer us!"

"…It's no use," said Cloud dejectedly. "It's no go."

They left Hojo and headed to the bar, where they nursed a couple of drinks and mulled over what to do next.

"Head west…" Barret said as he finished a pint of the cold stuff. "He must mean Mt. Corel…"

Cloud noticed how downtrodden Barret seemed when he said the name of their next destination. He wanted to ask him what his problem was but his eyes were distant. Whatever it was, he most likely wished to keep it to himself.

"Ready?" asked Cloud. "Then, let's go."

_To be continued…_


	60. Into the Mountains

"Whew!" exclaimed a man as they eventually reached the foot of the mountain. He was an older man, perched on top of a small rock jutting out of the ground.

"Hi," greeted Cloud.

"Hey! You're actually talking to me," the man said. Cloud noticed a troubled expression on his face.

"What is it?" asked Cloud.

"I just passed a guy in a black cloak back there," he began. "I just tried to tell him that it's dangerous up ahead, and he ignored me!"

Cloud turned to the group. "Sephiroth…" he mumbled.

"There was a black-cloaked guy here, too?" Aeris asked the man.

He nodded gravely as if Sephiroth had scared him.

"Let's hurry on," Tifa suggested.

They continued onwards and upwards. The wind was warm and the sun was high in the sky, bathing the whole mountain in sunshine. A few wild creatures dotted the area but the mountains were generally safe. Sephiroth was their most dangerous foe, and he had been here just moments before. It was worrying, but they had to press on.

A Mako reactor lay in the shadows of the mountains. It seemed smaller than its counterparts and also eerily quiet. Cloud and his team had no reason to delve deeper into it, especially when he noticed a lone set of footprints heading off in the opposite direction.

They continued on, eventually coming to an abandoned railroad that weaved between the mountains like a rollercoaster. It was in disarray now, having been deserted a long time ago. Chunks of the railroad were missing, meaning they had no choice but to jump between the gaps.

Cloud glanced down into the depths, his stomach doing knots. The ground seemed like miles beneath their feet. He decided to keep his eyes dead ahead, focusing on what was in front of him rather than underneath him. Eventually, they made it to the other side of the mountain and Cloud had never felt so relieved.

"Hey, can you hear that?" Tifa asked as she cocked her head to her left.

"I can hear chicks," Aeris replied.

Cloud could hear them too. He looked up towards the craggy rock face to see a hole filled with hay and grass.

"Can we look?" chimed Aeris, rubbing her hands together excitedly.

He guessed it wouldn't hurt. They climbed up the small slope and peered into the nest. Two golden-coloured chicks bobbed about in the nest, chirping excitedly. They didn't appear frightened. In fact, they seemed quite docile. Cloud figured the mother couldn't have been far, so they would have to be quick.

"How cute!" beamed Aeris.

"Yes! How cute…" said Tifa.

Cloud's attention was more focused on the treasure lay behind the chicks. There were various potions stashed amongst the hay. He could see some phoenix down's and a couple of potions, including an X – potion; all of which could come in handy.

"What should we do?" he asked the girls. "I don't think the mother would be happy if we reached inside her nest. Besides, these look like Cokatolis chicks. I wouldn't want to cross one of those."

"I don't know…" Tifa mumbled.

"You're the boss," said Aeris.

"…It's got nothing to do with us," he said after a pause. "Just forget about it."

"Right! That was admirable of you," Tifa chimed.

They said their quick goodbyes and moved on, coming to yet another obstacle, this time in the form of a rickety rope bridge, which, judging to its condition, had seen better days. Parts of the rope looked frayed and in the centre of the bridge was a small gap. The whole bridge was swaying dangerously in the sharp wind that was blowing upwards from the valley beneath.

Tifa and Aeris rushed past Cloud without a care in the world, traversing the bridge with ease. Perhaps his hesitation stemmed from being in SOLDIER; after all, it was drummed into every mercenary that risks and dangers came in all shapes and sizes and in every direction, whether that came in the form of an army of terrorists or a rope bridge that looked like it could collapse at any minute.

He had to change his way of thinking and stop being so meticulous. He closed his eyes for the briefest of moments, just to clear his thoughts, and opened them again. The girls were already on the other side. He placed his feet on the rickety wooden slats, feeling every movement, and walked to the other side, where a small village awaited them.

_To be continued…_


	61. A Troubled Past

You couldn't really call North Corel a village. There were no houses or shops, just a dry, dusty wasteland with tattered tents dotted about here and there. People walked around in clothes that they must have been wearing for months on end. Kids played and laughed in the background, but only because they were innocent and naïve and not yet ready to understand that the village they were growing up in was nothing more than a grotty wasteland.

Cloud glanced around, trying to take in the dismal sight when he heard raised voices in the background. He turned sharply to see Barret getting ambushed by three angry villagers. There was a tense stand-off for the briefest of moments until one of the villagers punched him in the face. Barret never retaliated. Instead, he hung his head as if in shame. What was going on, Cloud wondered?

"Well, lookey here!" the villager chided. "Never thought I'd ever see your face again." He turned briefly to his pals before making eye contact with Barret again. "They kick you out of another town or somethin'?"

"You destroy everything you touch," spat a second villager.

"You got a lot of balls comin' back here!" yelled the third one, each taking their turn to throw insults Barret's way. "Look at this place! It's all your fault North Corel turned into a garbage heap!"

Barret was silent. His head was bowed. Cloud thought he could see his chest quivering.

"Why doncha say something!?" he roared into Barret's face; but still, he didn't budge. "Or did ya forget what you done here already?"

"…I'm sorry…" Barret said after a tense pause.

"Bastard! You ain't even worth the effort." He turned to the others. "Don't waste your time talkin' to that Techno-freak!"

The villagers strode angrily away, leaving Barret standing on his own. He turned and walked towards Cloud and the others.

"Hey," called Cloud.

Barret let out a painful sigh. His eyes were wet, his face drawn. The man looked utterly devastated.

"You heard 'em…" he mumbled. "It's my fault this town was… destroyed…"

"What do you mean?" asked Cloud.

But Barret didn't respond. He turned on his heels and sloped off into the distance, his shoulders hunched as if he was carrying the entire world on top of them.

"I hope he's alright…" said Aeris, watching him as he disappeared around the corner.

"Say, Cloud…" began Tifa. "These villager's look like they could use a helping hand. How much gil do we have? We could stock up. They sure could use the money."

He grabbed the heavy sack which was almost full to the brim with gil, and peered inside. They had more than enough to stock up on essentials. The villagers had a small selection of items to sell. They bought as much as they could carry in their rucksacks, and even though it was only a small gesture, the villagers were extremely grateful. Cloud didn't know what had happened to turn this place into such a desolate wasteland but he doubted Barret was completely at fault. He hoped that his ally would eventually open up about that. But for now, they headed to the station, where a massive theme park called the Gold Saucer awaited them at the other end.

Barret was already standing at the station.

"Barret, what happened?" asked Aeris.

He hung his head. "Sorry."

"What happened?" Cloud inquired.

"My hometown used to be around here," he said with a heavy sigh.

"What do you mean, 'used to'?" asked Red.

"It ain't here no more. Heard it got buried… in just four years."

"But how could those people say those terrible things?" Aeris questioned.

"An' it's my fault. ALL my fault," wailed Barret, keeping his eyes to the ground. "…My hometown, Corel's always been a coal mining town." He looked up as if trying to picture in his mind's eye the town that once was. "It's so dusty, but calm and so poor… A real small town, this one. That's the first time I ever heard the word "Mako Reactor" mentioned since that time…"

* * *

"_What are we going to to do?" asked the village headman as Barret and a few other villagers stood around the small lounge that had been designated the meeting room. "The only one against this is Dyne…"_

_Dyne… his best friend. He was stubborn, that one; more so than Barret himself. Perhaps that's why they got on so well. They always had each other's backs and always broke free from the mould. But not this time. This time their paths and choices were very different and Dyne was certain that his decision was the right one. _

_Throwing his hands up in the air in an extravagant display of defiance, Dyne yelled, "I am definitely against it, no matter what. There's nothing to talk about if you're thinking of throwing away our coal!" He scanned the room, making eye contact with as many people he could, including Barret. "Our coal's been protected for generations. Our fathers, and theirs before them, risked their lives for it. We have no right to throw it all away so easily!"_

_Barret shuffled on his feet. His and Dyne's opinions clashed this time and he was feeling nervous about it. _

"_But listen, Dyne," he said, maintaining eye contact with him. "No one uses coal nowadays. It's the sign of the times."_

_A woman donned in a red dress and lipstick to match stepped forward, her high heels click-clacking on the floor._

"_Right, everything is Mako, now." She looked over at Dyne. "It'll be all right, Dyne," she cooed. Barret noticed how cold her eyes were. "Shinra. Inc. will guarantee your livelihood once the Mako Reactor is completed."_

_It was a risk. He knew that. They all did. But Dyne… he was so adamant. What could he sense that no one else could? He shook the thoughts away. This sleepy town had to move up in the world. It couldn't remain in the past forever. _

"_Listen, Dyne," Barret pleaded. "I don't want my wife, Myrna, to suffer anymore."_

_Dyne clenched his fists together. This wasn't a good sign. He was rearing for a fight. _

"_I know how you feel!" he yelled through gritted teeth. "I feel the same way too, damn it! But even so, I won't give away our coal mines!"_

_The village headman walked over to Dyne and patted him on the shoulder. "Dyne… you've got to understand."_

_Finally admitting defeat, Dyne sat down on the couch, put his head in his hands and wept, his whole body shaking as he sobbed. It shook Barret to the core. Never in their friendship had he seen Dyne look so broken-hearted…_

* * *

"That's how the Corel Reactor was built… and completed," Barret informed the group. "We all thought it would bring us an easier life." Barret paused, turning the atmosphere tense. He breathed in slowly and then exhaled like he was trying to hold back tears. "It happened when Dyne and I were out of town for a few days. Corel was burned down by the Shinra troops." His voice was quavering, but he continued on. "All the townspeople… All my relatives… Everyone… Everything…"

"Shinra troops? What for!?" Cloud gasped.

"There was an explosion at a reactor," he explained. "Shinra blamed the accident on the people. Said it was done by a rebel faction."

"That's so terrible!" Tifa cried.

"Well, I guess that's true," said Barret. "But more than Shinra, I couldn't forgive myself." He hung his head. "Never should've gone alone with the building of the reactor…"

"Don't blame yourself," Tifa said as she walked towards him. "We were all fooled by the promises Shinra made back then."

Barret threw his arms up into the air, his face contorted as anger took over. "That's why… that's why I get so pissed off!" He lowered his voice. "Not only did they take advantage of me… but I lost my wife, Myrna, too…"

Another voice carried through the air. High pitched and punchy, it gave some welcome relief to the atmosphere.

"Hey everyone! If you want to go to the 'Gold Saucer' hurry and get on!" the conductor yelled.

"Let's get on," Cloud motioned to the group.

"Dyne was my best friend," said Barret as he stepped into the train car that would take them to the theme park. "We was close ever since we was kids…"

Cloud and the others remained on the platform. Tifa turned to Cloud.

"I never knew," she mumbled. "Barret never said a thing…"

There was a pause, as if no one knew quite what to say, until Yuffie piped up.

"I'm not sympathizing with Barret!" she yelled. "He never should have trusted Shinra…"

The feisty ninja sashayed over to the entrance to the train car and jumped in. Cloud admired her tenacity if nothing else.

"We better go on!" Tifa urged.

They stepped on just as the train car whirred into motion and zoomed across the ropeway towards the bustling crowds of the Gold Saucer.

_To be continued…_


	62. Fortunate Friend

Even through the hum of machinery as the train car buzzed across the sky, Cloud could hear the cacophony of celebratory sounds coming from the Gold Saucer. Music was blaring from every corner, its melody happy and upbeat; a far cry from the glumness of the world right now. Swells of cheers and laughter erupted sporadically from below as the car edged closer and closer towards the theme park.

The station at the other end of the ropeway was vivid and vibrant. A huge welcome sign painted bright yellow hung over the entranceway to the building. Underneath was a big statue of a chubby Chocobo. As Cloud looked around he could see a few staff members walking around in Chocobo costumes. He stifled a laugh as he tried to imagine himself having to wear one. He had to admire their resolve, for he didn't think he could do a job like that. Maybe Yuffie would, though…

"Wow," he gasped as he took in the sights. And this was only the station. For the first time in a long while, Cloud felt excited. But he had to remind himself that this was only a stop-gap. Sephiroth was out there and he was the target. They had to remember that.

"Welcome to the Gold Saucer," said the ticket attendant. "Are you together?"

Cloud nodded.

"A single pass is 3000 gil, or you can purchase a lifetime pass for 30000 gil," she explained.

They had more than enough gil between them to pay for a lifetime pass and still have enough for essentials. Cloud handed over the coins.

"Thank you very much," she said. "If you have a Gold Ticket, you can come and go freely into the park… as long as you don't lose it. Here at the Gold Saucer, there are many places where you must pay with GP," she went on to explain. "Just think of GP as money that you can only use at the Gold Saucer. GP can only be redeemed at the games in Wonder Square and at the Chocobo Races. Your GP limit is 10000 so please be careful. Please enjoy yourselves."

They entered the lobby, a brightly coloured dome with various openings lining the circular wall. Written on the floor beneath each one was a description of where it led to.

"Wow!" exclaimed Aeris as she bobbed up and down on the spot. "Let's have fun!"

Silence filled the lobby.

"I know this isn't the right time to do this," she continued, sensing the tension. She walked over to Barret. "Hey, Barret, cheer up!"

He sloped away, his shoulders hunched.

"…I ain't in no cheery mood. So jes' leave me alone."

"Really?" Aeris continued as she followed him. "That's too bad." She turned to Cloud and ran towards him. "Let's go!"

Tifa leant towards Cloud and Aeris, her expression tinged with concern.

"Wasn't that a little harsh, Aeris!?" she whispered.

"Just act normal when this happens," Aeris replied.

"You think so…?" asked Tifa.

"Of course!" Aeris responded with a giggle before skipping towards Barret. "We're gonna go play…" she told him.

Barret whizzed around on the spot, his arms flailing.

"So PLAY!" he roared, so loudly that Cloud could feel his ears buzzing. "…messin' round bastards! Don't forget we're after Sephiroth!"

He stormed off, past Aeris and the others, and into a portal which, according to the writing beneath, would take him to the Wonder Square. Cloud could literally feel the rush of air as he tore past.

"…I think he's mad," said Aeris.

"He'll be fine," reassured Tifa. "He seems to be doing a little better now." She turned to Cloud. "We'd better be careful. Sephiroth might be around."

Cloud decided to visit the Wonder Square first. Aeris tagged along. She didn't divulge her reasons, but Cloud guessed she felt guilty about sending Barret into a rage. Even though the guy clearly wanted to be on his own, he was a loose cannon at the best of times; but as they emerged into the area they saw someone else. It was a funny-looking feline creature clutching a megaphone, sat on a huge, obese white-coloured Moogle. Barret was nowhere to be seen, but Cloud didn't hear any gunshots, so he presumed that could only be a good thing.

"Hey you!" boomed the small feline. He had a nasally, squeaky voice that would normally disappear in large crowds of people, but with his megaphone his voice ricocheted around the entire room, bouncing off every wall like a bouncy ball. He also spoke with an accent, one that Cloud couldn't quite place. This guy was even more annoying than Yuffie. "What're you lookin' so down for!?" He clicked his fingers and the Moogle sprang towards them. "How 'bout it? Want me to read your fortune!? A bright future! A happy future!"

Oh goodness. Cloud shook his head. Yuffie was a saint compared to this guy. Not even that Chocobo dude back at the ranch was annoying as him.

"Oh, but don't hold it against me if it's not a great prediction!" he cried, cupping his face with his paws. "Oh, so sorry! I'm a fortune telling machine. The name's Cait Sith!"

"You can only read the future?" asked Cloud, hoping that his skills went as far as locating wanted people. That's if he was telling the truth.

"You kidding!? I can find missing things, missing people, anything!"

This was brilliant, thought Cloud. Maybe too good to be true... then again, these were desperate times. If he could prance around the Honey Bee Inn dressed as a woman, then he could hedge his bets on this guy no problem.

"Then can you tell me where a man named Sephiroth is?"

"Sephiroth, right!?" he bellowed through his megaphone. "Okay, here goes!"

What Cloud saw next baffled him. He expected the feline to chant or wave his arms about or even hum through his megaphone in an extravagant display of his supposed ability. Instead, he stood up as tall as he could, outstretched his arms and wiggled his hips in perfect synchronisation with his rotund Moogle steed. It was a strange and funny sight. He doubted this guy was at all serious. What a waste of time.

Just as he was about to walk away, the Moogle opened up his huge paw and handed Cloud a crumpled up piece of paper. He unravelled it and read the words on the page.

"…Ordinary luck. It will be an active fortune," Cloud recited. "Give into the good will of others, and something big'll happen after summer." He read it again, this time to himself. "…Wait… what's this?"

"Huh? Let me try again."

Cait Sith did the whole silly dance all over again. Cloud had really had enough this time and was about to walk away for good until a piece of paper hit him square in the head. He undid it and read its contents, albeit reluctantly.

"Be careful of forgetfulness. Your lucky colour is… blue?" Cloud sighed and rolled his eyes. "…Forget it."

Cloud and the others began to walk away when a now frantic Cait Sith begged them to stay.

"Wait, wait give me another chance!" he pleaded. "Wait! Let me try it again!"

Another crazy dance, another crumpled piece of paper. Cloud was getting a distinct sense of deja-vu. He read the contents and recoiled.

"…What the!?" he gasped.

"What?" asked Aeris nervously.

"What you pursue will be yours. But you will lose something dear," Cloud read.

"I don't know if it's good OR bad…" commented the strange creature. "This's the first time I ever got something like THIS." He held out a paw. "Then shall we?"

"What are you talking about?" asked Aeris.

"As a fortune teller, I can't help but think about this. If I don't see what it leads to, I won't be able to relax. That's why I'm going with you!"

Oh, great, thought Cloud. Okay, so he seemed friendly enough, but he was also extremely annoying.

"What are we going to do, Cloud?" pondered Aeris.

He was about to protest but Cait Sith was too quick with his response. Cloud just shook his head instead.

"I'm comin' with you no matter WHAT you say!" he bellowed, his squeaky voice slightly distorted due to him holding his megaphone too close to his face.

"H… hey!" Cloud yelled, but his protests went unheard. This Cait Sith guy wasn't about to budge any time soon.

Backing away slowly, Cloud turned and continued on into the Wonder Square, hoping to find Barret. However, he was nowhere to be seen. It was as if he'd completely disappeared like a puff of smoke.

"What have I done?" cried Aeris as they searched amongst all of the flashing, noisy arcade games.

"Nothing," replied Cloud. "It's not your fault Barret can't handle the truth." He turned to Cait Sith. "Hey. You're good at finding people. Right? Well here's one for you. Find our friend, Barret."

"Oh hey HEY!" yelled Cait Sith, waving his hands submissively into the air. "It doesn't just work like that, you know?"

Cloud cocked an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "Oh really? How convenient…"

"Why don't we try the Battle Square?" suggested Aeris. "We all know he likes a good fight."

"Good idea," replied Cloud. "Let's go."

_To be continued…_


	63. Massacre

The Battle Square was quiet; in fact, it was too quiet. Something was amiss. A Shinra soldier was guarding the steps that led towards the arena. Why? Was Sephiroth here? The soldier was still, and clutching at an open wound on his chest. Blood trickled down his uniform. He fell to his knees without uttering a single sound.

"Oh no!" cried Aeris as she and Cloud rushed towards him.

"Dead…" mumbled Cloud, unable to fully comprehend what was in front of him.

"What!?" Aeris gasped. "Why?"

Without answering her, he rushed past the soldier and up the steps towards the arena.

"Cloud!?" she called. "Where are you going?"

The arena's reception area was the scene of a massacre. Blood splatters covered every wall. Dead bodies lay strewn across the floor, limbs akimbo, eyes wide open in shock. Not even the poor receptionists, innocents in all of this, had been spared. They lay across their desks in pools of their own blood.

"Did Sephiroth do this!?" Cloud yelled.

He knelt beside a fallen soldier and inspected the gaping wound across his chest. Cloud recoiled. It couldn't have been Sephiroth…

"No… it's not him…" he gasped. "They're all shot… Sephiroth would never use a gun…"

A groan sounded in the distance, causing Cloud to glance over. One of the receptionists was still alive. He rushed towards her. She was white as a ghost and looked to be near death. It may have been too late to save her, but it wasn't too late to try and piece together what happened.

"Hey, what happened?" asked Cloud.

"…A man with a gun… on his arm…" she muttered through jagged breaths before closing her eyes forever.

"It can't be!?" yelled Aeris.

It must have been Barret. Who else would have a gun physically grafted onto their arm? He desperately wanted to think otherwise, that somehow there was another person with a gun-arm roaming around out there, but every thought led back to Barret.

"Hold it right there! And stay quiet!"

The brusque voice came from behind them. It was very loud and in-your-face, leading Cloud to believe that whoever it was had a lot of self-confidence.

Cloud whizzed around on the spot, coming face-to-face with a muscular, bronzed man wearing nothing but the tightest spandex shorts. He assumed him to be the owner of the Gold Saucer, judging by all the pictures and statues of him that were on display around the park. Accompanying him were two more soldiers.

"Did you guys do this!?"

"N…no, it wasn't us!" Cloud stammered.

"Hurry and run, it's gonna get ugly," warned Cait Sith before bolting through the door to the battle arena.

"He… hey!" Cloud yelled before he and Aeris followed him.

"Hold them!" ordered the park owner.

The arena was little more than a stone chamber with a moat lining the central ring and huge metal chains hanging off the walls which held absolutely no purpose. The entire room was very small. Another door lay at the other end of the room but he could see from here that it was bolted shut. As Cloud looked around for another escape route he realised they were trapped.

_Never should have followed that bumbling buffoon_, thought Cloud.

"That's as far as you go," warned the muscular man. Standing next to him was a patrol officer.

"Wait, listen to…" Cloud begged.

"Cloud…" interrupted Cait Sith as the feline slowly backed away from the far end of the room.

Suddenly the back door sprung off its hinges and a huge robot came pounding through it, its footfalls sending vibrations through the ground. Two more emerged from the sides, through doors that had previously been concealed. They quickly rounded on the trio and then were still, until the park owner gave them the signal to pounce by a click of his fingers. They took Aeris first.

"Cloud!" she yelped, as a trapdoor in the centre of the ring opened up. Within a second, Aeris was gone.

Cait Sith was taken through the trap door next. He glanced quickly at Cloud and mouthed, "Don't worry" to him before he disappeared into the abyss below.

What was down there, Cloud wondered? A dungeon? A prison? Death? He hoped Aeris was okay. Cait Sith too, he guessed. And Barret… where was he? Had he been taken down there, too? Cloud had never scared easily until now. He could feel his body trembling to the core. It wasn't just fear though, but also anger, and perhaps even a little bit of excitement. Sephiroth was out there and even though their journey was full of twists and turns he could feel himself getting closer. Finally, after all these years it was time to settle the score.

"One more to go," said the muscular man, his muscles rippling as he flexed his arms.

"Yes," replied the officer in a deadpan voice.

Cloud squirmed as the robot tightened its grip on him. His feet were dangling helplessly and his sword was strapped to his back. He was completely at the whim of his capturer.

"Hey!" he yelled, desperately trying to make the park owner see sense. "Pay attention!"

"There's no need to listen," he replied. "Pay for your crime down below!" He paused for a second. "Do it!"

The officer did as he was instructed and pressed a large lever beside him. The lever clicked and the trapdoor flung open. The robot readied itself at the foot of the hole with Cloud in its arms, his feet dangling over complete darkness. A whoosh of foul-smelling air hit his nostrils as the robot jumped down the chute.

_To be continued…_


	64. Locked Up

Cloud awoke suddenly. His mouth was dry and his body was aching. He was very hot and every time he breathed he got a mouthful of dust. As his eyes adjusted, he saw Aeris and Cait Sith staring down at him. Glancing quickly around, he established he was in some sort of enclosure in the middle of the desert.

"You all right?" asked Aeris as she peered over him.

"Where are we?" he replied.

"A desert prison…" Cait Sith miserably declared. "Corel Prison…"

"A desert prison?" Cloud repeated, unable to fully comprehend the situation they were all in.

"Yup, a natural prison in the middle of the desert… surrounded entirely by quicksand. I heard that once you get in you never get out… but," Cait Sith continued on, "there was one special exception…"

"Hey!" cried Aeris, cutting off the feline abruptly. "Barret!"

She ran towards him, and Cloud and Cait Sith quickly followed. A man lay at Barret's feet, unmoving. He appeared to be dead. Had Barret shot him too?

"Barret…" Cloud mumbled.

"Did he really…"

He tried to brush those thoughts away. There had to be another explanation. There was no way that a man like Barret would callously kill two defenceless receptionists. Shinra soldiers perhaps, but only if he'd truly lost it and had popped like a volcano. Cloud may not have known him for long but this wasn't the Barret he knew.

"Stay back!" yelled Barret as Cloud edged closer. "This's something I gotta deal with." He turned his back. "Jes' leave me alone…" He darted through a metal gate and was gone.

"Whew!" gasped Cait Sith. "That's one of your friends? He sure looks dangerous…"

"Cloud, what should we do?" pondered Aeris. "Barret's not his normal self."

"We need to find him," urged Cloud.

They decided to stick together. This was not a safe place, especially not for Aeris; not even for himself. They were all tough in their own ways, used to fighting and upheaval and the dark days of living and working in the slums of Midgar; but this place was tougher, full of ruthless terrorists and cold-blooded murderers.

They eventually found Barret inside a ramshackle hut that, judging by the old dusty furniture, used to be someone's house.

"Didn't I tell you not to come here!?" roared Barret, his fist flailing and his gun-arm waving dangerously in the air.

There was a sharp click as Barret loaded his gun.

"Ju… just hold on for a second!" Cait Sith pleaded. "We just want to talk! You'll understand if you just hear us out!"

The feline's pleas fell on deaf ears. Barret fired his gun at the sofa, unleashing hundreds of bullets into the worn fabric. Tears were streaming down his face and his expression was not one of anger, but of sadness. Cloud had only seen him like this once before when he realised that Biggs, Wedge and Jesse had died in the plate collapse and thought that his daughter Marlene had also perished.

The silence was deafening now. As Cloud looked around, he realised that no one had been injured; until a man rolled from behind the sofa and lay still on the ground, his body pumped full of bullets. Wrong place, wrong time. Barret wouldn't have killed him with intent… would he? Cloud didn't know what to think. His head was all over the place. He had never felt like this before and that scared him more than anything.

"Didn't want none of ya to get involved…" Barret muttered.

"Hey that's Cloud's line!" Aeris exclaimed just as Tifa, Yuffie and Red bolted into the room. "'…It's too dangerous, I can't let you get involved…' blah, blah, blah…"

"Yeah. We're already involved in this," Tifa declared. "We saw you and hurried here. So come on, Barret, just tell us what's going on."

"You guys…" he mumbled, his face slick with tears.

"I heard that the murders at the Battle Arena were done by a man with a gun-arm. Was that you?" probed Red, getting straight to the point.

Barret shook his head. "There's another… another man that got a gun grafted inta one of his arms. It was four years ago…" He looked up as if picturing the scene in his head. "I remember… I was on my way home from visiting a Mako Reactor being built."

* * *

"_Barret! Dyne!" yelled the old man. "Come quick! The village's being attacked! It's Shinra soldiers!"_

"_WHAT!?" roared Barret, his heart suddenly feeling as though it would explode straight out of his chest. _

_Both he and Dyne made their way over to the cliff face overlooking the village. Flames had overcome the entire village and were now spreading through the forests surrounding it. A huge ball of smoke billowed upwards into the air. Barret could already feel the effects as tendrils of smoke carried on the wind clogged his lungs._

"_What the hell happened...?" he gasped as he choked back tears. _

_Overcome by an influx of emotions, he raised his fists into the air and slammed them into the rock-face._

"_Hey, Barret!" yelled Dyne. "It's not over yet! Everyone's waiting! Let's go back to the village!"_

"_Barret! Dyne!"_

_They glanced up to find the old man being ambushed by a lone soldier. _

"_Protect the village…!"_

_Those were his last words as the soldier shot him right through the chest with a single bullet. He never even screamed as he fell backwards and was still. More soldiers quickly emerged from the right-hand side. _

"_Old man!" huffed Barret. He had always been as stubborn as a mule and seemed to get feistier the older he got. The villager had lived in Corel his whole life and even though he had died for his village, it was an awful way for him to go._

_The soldiers turned towards Barret and Dyne and opened fire on the pair without hesitation. Luck was on their side as every bullet miraculously missed them, but he knew their luck wouldn't last forever, especially when he felt the whoosh of hot air against his skin as bullets whizzed by his head. They had to run if they wanted to live._

"_C'mon, Barret!" Dyne yelled. "We gotta hurry!"_

_They ran along the rock face until they could take shelter from a piece of rock that was jutting out from the mountainside. _

"_Barret! You stay here!" ordered Dyne._

_The shooting stopped and another sound replaced the gunfire. A woman cackled, her voice high pitched. It went through Barret like nails scraping across a chalkboard._

"_You can shoot all day and never hit them with aim like that," she said mockingly as she faced the soldiers. She howled with laughter, throwing her head back like a rabid animal. "Stop playing around and cover me!"_

_Barret and Dyne clung to the wall as more bullets whizzed past them. _

"_Watch out!" screamed Dyne._

_Suddenly, Dyne threw himself towards the cliff edge, taking aim at the Shinra soldiers and the woman in red. Another bullet skimmed across the rocks, leaving a burn mark across Dyne's face. He grimaced and then lost his footing, tumbling from the edge. Barret leapt forwards, grabbing onto his best friend's arm and stopping him from falling to his death._

"_Dyne!" cried Barret. "Hang on! Lissen to me! You're comin' back to the village, hear!?"_

"_Yeah… I ain't lettin' go…" croaked Dyne through gritted teeth. "You're comin' back… Everyone's waitin' for ya… Eleanor… and Marlene… They all waitin' on us…"_

_Barret screamed out as a bullet tore through his right arm. He loosened his grip and could only watch on helplessly as Dyne, his best friend, disappeared into the dark ravine below._

* * *

"From then on, I couldn't use my right arm no more," he told Cloud and the others. He hung his head and took a deep breath. "…I was depressed for a while. But then I threw away my artificial arm and got this gun grafted in." He shook his fist. "Got a new right arm to get revenge on the Shinra, who took everything away…"

Cloud never knew Barret's backstory until now. He was in awe, but also saddened. A burst of anger surged within him. Through listening to another man's story, he had discovered yet another account of Shinra destroying lives. It was sickening. It was wrong. The corrupt corporation needed to be stopped.

"Back then," Barret continued, "I heard the doc say there was another man who got the same operation as me. But, his was the left arm."

"But… Dyne's injury was the same as yours, right?" asked Aeris.

"Yeah, that's right," Tifa responded. "He was deceived by the Shinra too. He'll probably join us to fight against the Shinra."

"…Wouldn't bet on it," replied Barret. "I gotta 'pologise to Dyne before I can rest in peace." He eyed the group one by one, a steely expression on his face. "An' that's why, I gotta go alone."

"Do whatever you want…" began Cloud. "Is that what you want to hear?" A lump formed in his throat. He coughed to try and clear it but it wouldn't budge. What was this he was feeling? "Well, I can't let you do it. Because, if you die on me, I'm gonna have nightmares."

"Barret, this isn't the end," Aeris said soothingly.

"Weren't you going to save the Planet?" asked Tifa animatedly.

Barret turned towards her. "Shit!" he gasped. "Tifa, you oughtta know by now."

"…That's all right," she replied. "I'm not so different from you."

"That's easier to understand," said Aeris. "It's you, Barret.

"So there it is, Barret," Cloud declared. "So I guess it'll be Barret, me, and…"

"Do you mind if I tag along?" asked Aeris as she fumbled with her dress.

When he first met Aeris, Cloud felt drawn to protect her. She seemed so timid and naïve back then. But now he could see her for the feisty, courageous and strong woman that she was. Nothing could hold her back.

"Sure," he replied. "Barret?"

"Course," he stated. "Then let's go."

_To be continued…_


	65. A Desperate Act

They found Dyne overlooking a deep, dark crag stretching lengthways across the dusty landscape, firing his gun at nothing but the open space in front of him. Two rudimentary wooden crosses were stuck in the ground at the cliff edge, mementoes of young lives that had been lost to despair. The area must have been a notorious suicide spot, thought Cloud ominously.

"…Dyne… Is that you?" Barret called out.

Dyne slowly turned and stared at Barret, ignoring Cloud and Aeris. His eyes were not full of anger and hatred; they were sad. Cloud had seen it before. This was a man who had lost everything and no longer had anything to live for.

"Now that's a voice I haven't heard in years…" he mumbled as he walked slowly towards Barret. "A voice I'll never forget…"

"I always hoped I'd be able to see you again someday…" croaked Barret, his voice shaking. "I knew you were alive someday… we had the same operation." He took a few steps closer to Dyne. "Listen to me Dyne. I want to…"

Dyne aimed at Barret's feet and fired a shot at the ground, missing Barret by inches. Cloud glanced at Aeris and nodded. Slowly, they stepped back. This was something Barret had to do on his own. At least they were both here if things got out of control.

"What's that…?" muttered Dyne. "I hear her voice." He paused for a long time. Barret was silent, patiently waiting for him to finish what he had to say. "I hear her voice, Eleanor's voice. Begging me… not to hate your rotten guts. That's why I didn't hunt you down…"

"…I know I was stupid," Barret murmured. "I'm not asking for you to forgive me. But… what're you doin' in a place like this? Why ya wanna kill those that ain't even involved? Why?"

Dyne slammed a foot into the ground, sending up plumes of dust.

"…Why!?" he screamed. "The hell do you care for!? Are the people killed going to understand 'why'? Are the people of Corel going to understand just hearing Shinra's excuses?" He took a step forward.

Even though Cloud was watching from afar, he could see the sadness dissipate as the fires of anger suddenly raged in Dyne's eyes.

"I don't CARE what the reason is!" he bellowed. "All they give us are artillery and stupid excuses… what's left is a world of despair and emptiness…" He turned towards the edge of the cliff again as if it was calling to him. "You still want to hear 'why'? All right, I'll tell you." He began to pace, his gun-arm cocked. "'Cause I want to destroy everything." He fired a shot. "The people of this city." And another. "This city itself." He paced from left to right, firing three more shots into the ground. "The whole world! I got nothing left in this world. Corel, Eleanor… Marlene…"

"Dyne, Marlene… Marlene's still alive," Barret said. "I went back into town. I thought she was gone for sure. That is why I wanted to be by her side till the end. That's when I found her… found Marlene."

Dyne was silent and staring at Barret intensely. He lowered his gun-arm as he listened.

"She's in Midgar," Barret continued. "Let's go see her together, all right?"

"So… she's still alive…" Dyne gasped. "All right, Barret. I guess that means you and I gotta fight."

"What!?" Barret huffed.

"Eleanor's alone all by herself. I've got to take Marlene to her."

"Dyne… are you insane!?" roared Barret.

"Marlene wants to see her Mom, don't she?" he snarled, raising his gun at Barret's face.

Cloud watched on, poised to attack if necessary. Dyne was no longer sane; and with insanity came uncertainty. Who knew what Dyne would do next? He could turn his gun on himself if he wanted to; he could kill Barret with a single blow; or he could turn the gun on Cloud and Aeris and blow them both away. Instead he unleashed a barrage of bullets at his friend turned foe.

"Stop, Dyne!" screeched Barret as he shielded his face with his own gun-arm, deflecting every bullet. "I can't die yet!"

"Oh yeah? Well my life's been over ever since then."

"Stop it! I don't wanna fight you!"

But the bullets still came. He was no superhero. Barret could only drive back the bullets for a short time before fatigue set in. Cloud had seen enough.

"Barret!" he yelled.

"Cloud, you stay the hell out of it!" he quipped back. "This is MY problem!"

He quickly unleashed an attack of his own at Dyne, spraying him with bullets. He had dodged most of them, but at least one struck him in the knee. He fell to the floor in a heap, clutching his wound with his right hand. Unable to stand and watch him suffer, Barret walked towards Dyne.

"Back!" he growled.

Dyne slowly got to his feet and hobbled towards the edge of the cliff. He turned to face Barret.

"…It wasn't just my arm… back then…" he wheezed. "I lost something irreplaceable. I don't know where I went wrong…"

"Dyne… I don't know either, man. Is this the only way… we can resolve this?" Barret begged.

"I told you… I… I want to destroy everything… Everything… this crazy world…" He paused and took a deep breath in. "Even me…"

"An' what 'bout Marlene? What's gonna happen to her!?" screeched Barret.

"…Think about it… Barret… how old was Marlene back then…? Even if I did go to her now… she wouldn't even know me… And what's more… Barret… these hands are a little too stained to carry Marlene anymore…"

He threw a glistening silver necklace towards Barret, who caught it swiftly with one hand.

"Barret… Give that pendant to Marlene… It was… Eleanor's… my wife's… memento…" said Dyne with a heavy sob.

"All right…" Barret murmured as he clutched the pendant close to his chest.

"Wow… Marlene's… already… four…" Dyne gasped, his eyes glistening with fresh tears.

He walked closer to the edge. Cloud couldn't move or say a word. His heart was beating way too fast, his legs jellified.

"Barret… don't… make… don't ever make Marlene… cry…"

"Dyne…?"

Barret edged closer to him as he teetered on the edge of the cliff. Dyne turned one last time. Cloud felt the air electrify. Time seemed to stop. Even in the dry, oppressive heat of the desert, he felt his body shudder with cold. And then, Dyne fell backwards, unflinching, into the dark abyss below.

"Dyne!"

Barret ran towards the edge of the cliff.

"Dy-ne!"

He fell to his knees. Plumes of dust rose all around him.

"…Dyne. Me an' you were the same…" he wept. "My hands ain't any cleaner… I shouldn't be able to carry… Marlene either…"

Barret's cries echoed through the desert.

_To be continued…_


End file.
